My likely choices are: 1. Take their offer and move on. 2. Take a stand with a potential of being forced to resign. 3. [Your suggestion]?
I am very stable financially, so leaving is not detrimental in the short term (6-12 months).
Have you been in this situation? How did you deal with it?
There is a premium on travel, and field work. A lot is going to depend on your office culture. I know quite a few firms where field engineers have a rough job and the guys back at the shop work 9-5.
In a larger company, your role change, likely comes with a title change in the "HR" department (from something like "SALES ENGINEER" or "FEILD ENGINEER" to "ENGINEER I/II/III). Every one with the same shadow title is probably stuck in some "pay band". By keeping these bands tight you avoid a lot of potential for discrimination lawsuits. You might not see the pay cut at a smaller company but the title change at a bigger company makes it "likely".
If I look at your 1 and 2 options, ( 1. Take their offer and move on. 2. Take a stand with a potential of being forced to resign. ) There really isn't a difference except your pay while looking for a new job. "Forced to resign" is a misnomer, and I know people who have spent years on PIP's as employers tried to squeeze them out doing little and collecting a check. There is also the "your fired" speech, it is an at will state and you never know if your HR department has a wild hair up their ass.
I suspect that no matter what you choose to do, it is time for you to start looking for a new job.
I find that endlessly arguing with your employer puts a Target on your back. Take what they'll give and if you don't like it, start the job hunt in the background.
edited for spelling.
The above wasn't true for the associate (basically entry level) and regular consultant levels. Level 1 and 2 SWEs could make more money and had far more career options.
I got tired of travel and moved on to a low-travel role at a different company where I got a paid more. You should explore that.
That being said, I'd have gladly taken a 10% paycut (at least temporarily) to stop traveling. Consulting roles require a different set of skills than a pure engineering role so it might make sense to switch jobs and hone your skills for 6 months or so. Then interview and move on. Or, if you perform well, ask for a promotion.
I haven't experienced it personally but I've had friends in similar situations. It's not uncommon for traveling roles to have additional incentives.
I worked for a company that regularly added an additional percentage to your salary if you were on a temporary relocation or were regularly traveling for your role. This was to account for the inconvenience of being away from home, family, etc. When you returned home permanently that percentage was removed.
I would ask if there is a documented policy discussing the compensation differences between traveling and in office roles. A company of the size you mentioned should have a policy for this kind of thing. Understanding the policy should help in your communication with HR.
Don’t know if you’re switching titles, responsibilities, whether the on site work ebbs and flows/is seasonal either but if your only immediate goal is to preserve or grow income I’d start looking around like everyone else in this thread has said.
I do agree if I am reading correctly, you can afford the cut but you don't want to be screwed. So if you like the job and that's the policy, take the cut. If you don't like the job, leave even if you can get the same pay rate.
Simply not getting travel time / paid per mile anymore would be one thing, but a 10% reduction in compensation is another.