Working in a salon

[leanne.mcleish]

Hi geeks,

I qualified Level 3 in June this year and have just started working in a salon 2 weeks ago as a stylist. Is it normal to work so many hours with no breaks? basically, i work Monday (10-6) Weds-Fri (10-8) and Sat (10-6) i was told when i started i would get an hours break each day so therefore they deduct 5 hours per week from my wages. But since i've been there i have not had 1 lunch break. I'm aware salons are busy places and often you don't get a chance to sit down but everytime i get a colour applied to one client or finish a cut there is another that i have to deal with even if they're not in my column. I am also always in late so most of the time i'm working 11 hours straight with no breaks. Will it ever ease up, or is this the business i've entered and need to suck it up?! xx

 

[jacquelineanna]

You work that way and suck it up when you work for yourself .. not when you're working for someone else.

They should pay you for your worked lunchtimes or let you take them.

Jacqui xx

 

[leanne.mcleish]

If it was my own business or i was renting a chair i wouldn't be complaining because it's my choice. Working for someone else shouldn't be like this, i don't think! There always seem to be client's who have appointments but aren't in the book, and we all have full columns as it is, so these clients are being squeezed in where possible and often left sitting for well over an hour at a time. On occasion i could put up with this but every day is beginning to take it's toll and we are all stressed out because of it x

 

[Bluerinse]

This is hairdressing!! If you want a client base this is how you build it up! But yes I agree it shouldn't be like this but what you have to remember is time is money! The boss has to pay you and stock and overheads

 

[jacquelineanna]

This is hairdressing!! If you want a client base this is how you build it up! But yes I agree it shouldn't be like this but what you have to remember is time is money! The boss has to pay you and stock and overheads

This is all true but if she is not being paid for her one hour lunch and she is working and earning money for the salon then they should pay her.


Jacqui xx

 

[Bluerinse]

This is all true but if she is not being paid for her one hour lunch and she is working and earning money for the salon then they should pay her.


Jacqui xx

Yes they should, is the owner approachable or not?

 

[heatherlily]

i dont no many hairdressers that do get a dinner break to be fair lol. id rather be busy all day and be making money. plus i think it makes the day go so much quicker. nothing worse than having only a few clients in and being bored at work in my opinion. HOWEVER oviously you do need a rest even if its broke up through out the day ie while colours developing cant u go sit down for 10 min and grab a coffe? id speak to your manager about it xx

 

[heatherlily]

i dont no many hairdressers that do get a dinner break to be fair lol. id rather be busy all day and be making money. plus i think it makes the day go so much quicker. nothing worse than having only a few clients in and being bored at work in my opinion. HOWEVER oviously you do need a rest even if its broke up through out the day ie while colours developing cant u go sit down for 10 min and grab a coffe? id speak to your manager about it xx

sorry just re read this and realised your being paid a hour less for taking a dinner! if your not being paid for it then dont work it. book it out in the book and bring it up with manager. they surely will understand that they cant not pay you when youve worked the hour. x

 

[FakeBakeLover99]

Hey. Just browsin this I'm not a hairdresser, I do beauty and work for myself. I have a part time job nothin to do with beauty and they have recently cut down the breaks to one 20min break for anythin over 6 hours! I work a ten hour shift and I can barely cope with this, constantly running around so I don't have a clue how you can do that without one break! I would faint if I didn't eat anything. Its ridic that u don't get paid when u work it grr, u shud deffo say something. Ps sorry for the huge essay lol xxxxx

 

[livvey2000]

Having worked in hair and beauty for 20ish years. I have found that to be the norm! Employers will take the mic, so speak up. X

 

[persianista]

I give my staff the choice. They can either work a 40 hour straight week with no lunch hours, or a 45 hour week with an hour lunch each day. All opt for 40 hours straight through.
There is always time to grab a sandwich and have a fag though.

 

[Katelisa]

Omg, I couldn't work 40 hours in the salon, period! I do 25 max, otherwise my back hates me for it.

 

[jacquelineanna]

I give my staff the choice. They can either work a 40 hour straight week with no lunch hours, or a 45 hour week with an hour lunch each day. All opt for 40 hours straight through.
There is always time to grab a sandwich and have a fag though.

And that is fair.

Jacqui xx

 

[Clairdestiny]

I feel ur pain i work in a barber shop and sumtimes its straight thru im nackered wen i get home xx

 

[leanne.mcleish]

i dont no many hairdressers that do get a dinner break to be fair lol. id rather be busy all day and be making money. plus i think it makes the day go so much quicker. nothing worse than having only a few clients in and being bored at work in my opinion. HOWEVER oviously you do need a rest even if its broke up through out the day ie while colours developing cant u go sit down for 10 min and grab a coffe? id speak to your manager about it xx

This is the point i was making, i wouldn't mind working straight through if i was getting a chance to sit down/have a drink while a colour developed, but as soon as i'm finished applying a colour i'm usually called over to shampoo someone elses colour if they're running behind, do a blowdry or cut on another client. It's completely non stop. The other day I held the toilet in for nearly 3 hours before i had a chance to nip to the toilet. The place just seems so manic and disorganised.

I'm asking for a meeting with the manager on Monday to talk to her about it, because if i don't bring it to her attention she probably doesn't even know it's happening!

 

[Holly Byers]

Tel em you have book a lunch near by restrant to meet a mate or family wright down yournlunch break in the book and cross thro it LUNCH BREAK lol

Leave the shop even if you don't have one just take a walk sit down have a coffee or get a lunch out lol

Good luck xxxx

 

[VIVA.GLAM]

Speak to your manager. If you don't tell them you have a problem how are they to know?

I work through my lunch breaks and I make my own lunch or take some fruit/snack bars in so I can have a bite as and when and I always find time for a quick 5 minute ciggy break. I'd rather not sit down for an hour half way through a busy day.

 

[Ammej85]

You should be getting a minimum of 20 minutes when working over 6 hours, which needs to be in one whole block and can't be taken off either end of the day.

For any employer to expect you to go 11 hours without stopping is ridiculous! Do you have a contract?

Oh and if they are docking your pay I would seroiously get speaking up ASAP.

 

[pr1ncess]

It's illegal!!! This is breaching your rights as an employee, I had a boss similar to this but she didn't know that in my old job I had to know the employment law like the back of my hand! I just asked for a chat in private and handed her a printout from direct gov website.
Basically I think she's taking the p*ss as this is your 1st job out of college. However tread carefully Hun as she don't sound like a great boss if shes doing this already, she may just get someone who is prepared to settle!
And you should only do your own clients unless your helping out a colleague, say that your worried about the impression it's giving your clients and you dont want to rush them to fit in another client as you feel it is unprofessional. Have you called your old tutors? As I found mine was really helpful after I left she may be able to advise u, Good luck x

 

[zebra_cake]

i work 9-6 tue,wed,fri, half day thursday (use to be 9-7) and 9-4 on a saturday

i dont get dinner hours . its just the way hairdressing is. however i am getting paid for working straight through.

it is constant and sometimes, from getting in work at 8.20, as soon as you start work at 9 i dont have time for a drink/toilet/food untill 3.

you get use to it and dont get me wrong most of the time you have a quick 5 mins here and there free . but it will be a shock to the system