PaigeRosexxx
Well-Known Member
How much? 
How much do you pay your level 2 & level 3 qualified staff?
- Thread starter PaigeRosexxx
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HairbyJess
Well-Known Member
From the perspective of someone who has been through this before going self employed... please pay your stylists according to their work not age. An 18yr old L3 who does the same work as a 26 yr old L3 should be paid the same I think. My personal experience when I worked in a salon:
L2 (17 yrs old) £4ish an hour (minimum wage)
L3 (18 years old) £6ish an hour (minimum wage)
Now in my salon job I worked with another L3 stylist in her 20s. We technically worked the same hours, but I was always the one to open up, she would waltz in nearly an hour later (boss was off that day of the week). She would finish up to an hour early if she had no booked clients, leaving me to close up for the day. She used to go for a nice long walk during lunch (boss paid our lunch breaks as if it was busy we'd work through) whilst I manned the shop and took walk-ins. If I had no clients I would quite often end up junioring for her (until we got an assistant working that day). Also when she had no clients (some days were very quiet) she'd sit on her phone out the back. I'm not saying I never did this once all the jobs were done and there was no one in; but I often volunteered to do the cleaning when it was quiet (including the ghastly toilet) and would often run errands and bank runs for my boss. This stylist being 20 something got £8.70ish an hour whilst as I was 18 it meant my boss only legally had to pay me £6.45ph. Needless to say I'm now self employed and work on a base rate of £15ph, something which my clients are happy to pay for the quality of my work. I understand that as an employer and owner you probably have lots of outgoings and overheads, but I can honestly say that if you pay your employees properly you will get a better attitude and quality of work from them.
L2 (17 yrs old) £4ish an hour (minimum wage)
L3 (18 years old) £6ish an hour (minimum wage)
Now in my salon job I worked with another L3 stylist in her 20s. We technically worked the same hours, but I was always the one to open up, she would waltz in nearly an hour later (boss was off that day of the week). She would finish up to an hour early if she had no booked clients, leaving me to close up for the day. She used to go for a nice long walk during lunch (boss paid our lunch breaks as if it was busy we'd work through) whilst I manned the shop and took walk-ins. If I had no clients I would quite often end up junioring for her (until we got an assistant working that day). Also when she had no clients (some days were very quiet) she'd sit on her phone out the back. I'm not saying I never did this once all the jobs were done and there was no one in; but I often volunteered to do the cleaning when it was quiet (including the ghastly toilet) and would often run errands and bank runs for my boss. This stylist being 20 something got £8.70ish an hour whilst as I was 18 it meant my boss only legally had to pay me £6.45ph. Needless to say I'm now self employed and work on a base rate of £15ph, something which my clients are happy to pay for the quality of my work. I understand that as an employer and owner you probably have lots of outgoings and overheads, but I can honestly say that if you pay your employees properly you will get a better attitude and quality of work from them.
> An 18yr old L3 who does the same work as a 26 yr old L3 should be paid the same I think.
I so agree. I'm 30 and in australia we have an age based wage, but realisically all it has done is prevented people from hiring me. A lot of the phone interveiws ask "How old are you?" as the first question. I'm not lazy. I work extra hard. However there are people my age who are not worth the extra dollars. I know I am because I literally work so hard I put up a sweat. I had myself and 1 other apprentice cleaning up after 10 other stylists the other day and at 5 pm the girl who comes into help after school said she has never seen the place cleaner (trialling and find out if I got the job today). Looking back at my old salon I've seen so many people who are adults cut corners. There are mature aged people out there who are amazing but don't assume mature aged means less problems.
I so agree. I'm 30 and in australia we have an age based wage, but realisically all it has done is prevented people from hiring me. A lot of the phone interveiws ask "How old are you?" as the first question. I'm not lazy. I work extra hard. However there are people my age who are not worth the extra dollars. I know I am because I literally work so hard I put up a sweat. I had myself and 1 other apprentice cleaning up after 10 other stylists the other day and at 5 pm the girl who comes into help after school said she has never seen the place cleaner (trialling and find out if I got the job today). Looking back at my old salon I've seen so many people who are adults cut corners. There are mature aged people out there who are amazing but don't assume mature aged means less problems.
fab fingers
Well-Known Member
I think it should be based on qualifications and experience, not always age.
raisydaisy
Member
Agree
If they're bringing in clients (recurring) they add a lot of value.
I recently moved to a new salon and managed to negotiate above the average due to the volume of recurring clients I had.
Connections are everything and pay off in the long run.
Age discrimination is illegal. There aren’t any test cases over equal pay for work of equal value but there should be a transparent and easy to understand remuneration policy.
I tell juniors that if they help me to “fit in” (pre Covid) an additional treatment because they help with efficient turnaround and I don’t feel stressed with overwork, then they’ve earned their keep. I keep them focussed on how they add value.
when they are ready to do treatments I monitor their earnings.. However, i point out that whilst I am spending time supervising, mentoring and generally supporting them to improve I am not earning myself and so my lost earnings has to be factored in. I do sometimes have to give refunds or generally take a financial hit with mistakes made by juniors - everything from incorrect change, to misplaced decimals on the card machine, to making mistakes over prices and product sizes - or forgetting to charge for service upsells. I handle this discreetly so the YP might not be aware that I’m making less profit than she thinks.
All staff are paid an average of a percentage of their earnings. I double check their hourly pay/total earnings against income. A team player is a team player and deserves to be paid the same.
I tell juniors that if they help me to “fit in” (pre Covid) an additional treatment because they help with efficient turnaround and I don’t feel stressed with overwork, then they’ve earned their keep. I keep them focussed on how they add value.
when they are ready to do treatments I monitor their earnings.. However, i point out that whilst I am spending time supervising, mentoring and generally supporting them to improve I am not earning myself and so my lost earnings has to be factored in. I do sometimes have to give refunds or generally take a financial hit with mistakes made by juniors - everything from incorrect change, to misplaced decimals on the card machine, to making mistakes over prices and product sizes - or forgetting to charge for service upsells. I handle this discreetly so the YP might not be aware that I’m making less profit than she thinks.
All staff are paid an average of a percentage of their earnings. I double check their hourly pay/total earnings against income. A team player is a team player and deserves to be paid the same.
