Although termination was a remedy that had always been available to the employer, it had never been utilized and was thought to constitute an ineffective incentive in any event. As a preferred intermediate remedy, the October 25, 1995 memorandum imposed the unprecedented policy of permitting the employer to place an unwilling employee on probation with an automatic 20% reduction in salary. In our view, this action represented a substantial change in the employer's overtime policy, precipitating claimants' reaction of terminating their employment (see, Matter of Murphy [Levine], 49 A.D.2d 653, 654). Mikoll, J.P., Mercure, White, Yesawich Jr. and Peters, JJ., concur.