Need unbiased advice

[xDramaQueen1988]

Bear with me as this is probably going to be a rant but basically I feel very let down and disappointed by my employers, and I'm not sure where to go from here.

A back story, this was a new business. The salon is owned and managed by three people. (A couple and their friend) it's a specialised salon (eyebrows and eyelashes mostly) but facials, nails, tinting etc too.

Originally there was two of us hired. Me as a senior therapist/brow tech and the other girl as a senior therapist lash tech.

I started on 10 euro an hour, had 5 years experience CIDESCO qualified, excellent at threading.

Other girl left a few weeks in as she wasn't willing to accommodate long appointments (as semi permanent lashes take time). So that left just me.

Now as it was a start up, it was dead quiet and I did my best. I didn't take lunch incase walk ins came, I stay until 7 every evening I'm needed to so as they don't turn people away, I'm there to open up, I help out in any way I can. Last summer they were given 5 months notice when I was going on holiday.

I got very sick last winter, and never once called in sick or went home early because they had no cover and although my dr sent me to accident and emergency at one point, I still didn't miss work.

So that summer they hired a girl at 15 euro per hour. She did lashes too but didn't want to do anymore than 3 a day for that wage. So I'm pretty sure she's on commission for that too. She didn't do threading and isn't CIDESCO qualified. And she was on 50% more than me. That was all fine, I was a bit annoyed but said nothing.

In Dec I got an offer to work closer to home for the same money so told the employers to be honest, I would be looking for work closer to home as it didn't pay me to work for X amount of money and travel so far. After consideration they upped it to 11 euro, and only effective from Feb so they got Xmas out of me at the lower rate.

In Jan they decided to send me on another course to upskill. The course is 2k and thus they've locked me into a contract for 2 years. This also means they've to get a girl to replace me. They found this lovely girl, 1.5 years experience, quite slow at the treatment but lots of potential... She's on a starting wage of 11.50

She has no client base, she's starting from scratch, she has a lot less experience than me and is on a higher wage.

She came in today to sign contract, manager wasn't there so I gave it to her. Took a peek at it and was disgusted.

The other manager was watching the salon on CCTV and saw me look at it. The manager that was supposed to be there called me downstairs and told me off, and brushed it off saying the new girl would hopefully be doing lashes too but I know they didn't want me to find out.

The manager that saw it on CCTV came in to talk to me, and 1st reprimanded me for looking at the contract and then wanted to talk to me about it.

Thing is, I'm not even looking for a raise. I don't want a raise. But I'm so disgusted with them, and so unhappy that they think so little of me that out of 3 senior therapists, I'm there longest, I've put the most into it, and I'm the least paid. That they think higher of someone who's not even as experienced, and expect me to train her up next week. They actually expect me to train her and she's on a higher wage.

I just want to leave, I don't want to go back. I don't want to work there anymore and it's killing me knowing I'm stuck there for for two years.

I tried explain today why I'm upset - not because of the 50 cent an hour, but because I clearly mean nothing, and she was saying oh they think a lot of me, they're going to invest in me, they trust me etc but they've a funny way of showing it

 

[squidgernetball]

Why did you agree to the training?
It's clear to me they're using you and I don't think it will get any better. If you're ill, phone in sick. What training cost £2000? Have you signed that you agree to a 2 year tie in? Will you get the certificate for that treatment when you leave? What are the penalties if you leave now?

Tbh I would have left and gone elsewhere before Christmas - I know this doesn't help you now - but there's a lot more to respecting and valuing your staff than just the money, but they're disrespecting you in a lot of ways.

Vic x

 

[byKaty]

Why did you agree to the training?
It's clear to me they're using you and I don't think it will get any better. If you're ill, phone in sick. What training cost £2000? Have you signed that you agree to a 2 year tie in? Will you get the certificate for that treatment when you leave? What are the penalties if you leave now?

Tbh I would have left and gone elsewhere before Christmas - I know this doesn't help you now - but there's a lot more to respecting and valuing your staff than just the money, but they're disrespecting you in a lot of ways.

Vic x

I'm with Vic. You are being disrespected massively. If you've been so ill take time time off. It's probably stress related.
No medals for going to work sick and they will more than likely expect of you in future.
No you shouldn't have looked at someone else's contract info but tbh in your shoes I would have too.
Maybe get legal advice over your contract re 2 year tie in. You Def shouldn't stay there. It's not going to get better.

 

[AcidPerm]

Sadly, there are plenty of employers who will happily take advantage of conscientious staff like yourself and they do it because they can get away with it.

From their point of view, they are in business to make a profit and if an employee will work hard for €10 or €11 an hour, why eat into their profit margins by offering more if they don't have to? You should have taken a stand when you discovered the other girl on €15 an hour. If you had done, you would probably be perfectly content to continue working there.

Go and speak to someone in your nearest Citizens Information centre with a copy of your contract and find out what's the worst that can happen if you leave. (Probably very little in reality.)

Then decide either to demand a much higher pay rise (€15 minimum) or spend time updating your CV and go and find yourself another job or look at going self employed.

You need to value yourself far more and hold out for a sensible wage that properly reflects your skills and experience. If you find out other staff are unfairly being paid more than you, take a stand and demand equal pay. I really can't fathom why you accepted a 1 euro rise when you knew they'd previously paid another therapist €15!

They have treated you unfairly but only because you were a willing accomplice!

 

[KrisKross]

You've made several decisions to stay at this place knowing other staff are on more money than you, so I think you just need to let that go. Theres nothing you can do about the past now, you agreed to it all at the time. To carry on dwelling on it achieves nothing except winding yourself up.

The only thing you can do now is to get legal advice about your contract to see if you really are tied in for 2 years. I think in reality the worst that can happen is you walk away without that certificate and maybe you have to pay some of the cost of the training back.

 

[xDramaQueen1988]

Hi guys thanks for the advice.
Just to answer questions.
The training in question is microblading and the clauses in my contract is if I leave within 12 months I need to pay back 100% of the course training (2k) and after a year it'll be deducted by 90 euro per month for 12 months.

In my new contract I'm responsible for training up my replacement.

The reason they told me they'd paid the first therapist so much was because she was doing lash extensions all day. (1.5 hours per treatment and could have 4/5 in a day) though I also suspect they are giving her commission on each one too (can't say for sure). So their reasoning was she was earning more for them than I was.

As we got busier, if I had the clients in an hour and a half she can earn 100 euro for them and in an hour and a half I can earn 150. The problem is, it's easier to get 1 client (for her) than it is to get 6 (for me)

The icing on the cake was finding out yesterday that the girl they're hiring as my replacement (when I do microblading) is being hired with less experience, needs me to train her, on 50 cent more than I'm currently on. 1.50 more than I started on and build my client base on.

So really why I'm so upset now is out of three senior therapists, I'm the one that's on the least money. They're saying it's because she's going to be doing lashes too, and then said she's being put through the books at 11.50 whereas I'm on the books for 10 euro per hour, 35 hours per week and get the rest cash in hand so as I don't have to pay tax on the extra. They said by the time she pays tax that it'll be the same. They said about the girl on 15 euro an hour she doesn't have a contract, or doesn't get holiday pay.

To be honest right now they can give me 20 an hour and I don't want it, it's no longer about the money. They've made me feel so bad, so under valued and taken for a complete eejit that I just don't want to work there anymore. I've always done my best, I've always tried to do my best for them and for the business and now I just feel completely taken advantage of and disrespected.

I'm so upset I couldn't even sleep last night. I don't have 2k to give them for the training I haven't even done yet. I just can't see myself ever wanting to work there again.

 

[byKaty]

You've not done the training yet??

Don't do it!! Why do it when you know you are basically effed if you do?!

You need to find somewhere else or set up your own.

 

[xDramaQueen1988]

Katy, doesn't matter if I do it or not, they've paid for it and I had to sign the contract two weeks ago. If that contract wasn't signed, I'd have handed her my notice yesterday.


Like I'll be on much better money there when I do the course (10% of each treatment) but like I said it's not about the money anymore.

 

[daydreams01]

Let them send the new girl on the course and leave! I'm pretty sure if you haven't done the training the contract won't stand up and can they really be bothered to Persue it if they can send another member of staff!

 

[AcidPerm]

You big eejit!

You have evidence that they are actively AVOIDING PAYING THE REVENUE by paying you cash in hand. Tax avoidance can lead to imprisonment. (For them, not you)

There's no way they can risk trying to sue you.

Just leave now.

 

[squidgernetball]

Leave. If you don't train you don't have to stay.

But please don't train and continue complaining about it!

Vic x