I started working for a gardening/landscaping company three years ago. It's small with only 7 people, and we get paid between $15-$17/hr. while the boss charges $55/hr for our services. It's the only company in the area that focuses on native wildlife, pollinators, eco-friendly etc. It's what drew me in and helped me tolerate the low pay for so long.
When I first started, I started finding that some of our practices are harmful to native wildlife, so my boss put me in charge in basically writing our eco-friendly policies and trying to find ways to convince clients to stop using pesticides and other bad things. I don't know why she would get contracts with people who need convincing to be kind to the environment, but whatever.
I felt good being in charge of that and having everyone follow what I say, but other things started getting on my nerves. My boss said that we made more profit this year so far compared to last year, and said the same last year. But no good wages. And because of the low wages, we can never hang onto workers for more than two months. Sooo 2/3rds of the workers are usually very new. So new that it takes them two hours to pull ten weeds. Then we don't get to finish the day until 6pm.
If I want to get home at a decent hour, I have to do their work load. Which is what I've been doing, and now I have bigger muscles than my husband. I realized that I was a powerhouse and sort of like a three person crew on my own. But then I would come home exhausted, and fall asleep sitting up while my kids try to talk to me.
I told my boss that I can only work part time now, 3 days a week. I need more time with my family. She was not upset but scared because I'm her best worker and she doesn't want anyone else to follow, so she made a rule that we are packing our trucks to go home by 3:15pm. Everyone is thanking me.
With my income cut and two extra days off, I decided to write an ad on a Facebook group for the town I live in. I wrote that I can help build pollinator beds, attract birds and clean birdfeeders/baths, maintain their garden, offering everything that I can do.
My phone won't stop blowing up. By the time I reply to one person and schedule them in, two more send me message requests. Not only is there an insane number of people who want help with their gardens, but they don't need convincing to be eco/wildlife friendly. I started out charging $25/hr because that's still a big raise for me (my coworker said I should charge at least $40), and worked half a day and still made more money that I would working a full day at my real job. I can totally arrange my schedule so I make good money but only work 5 hours a day if I want, and have more time with my family.
It's funny, a year ago I asked my coworker (she's been there twice as long as me) why she doesn't just split off and do her own thing. She said she would but she's afraid she won't have enough clients to fully support her. I talked to her last night and showed her how I was drowning in clients, and I know the gears are turning in her head. I'm close friends with the others who work for the company and might convince them to quit, too, and we do our own thing. Or be like a network of gardeners.
I have to quit my job. I can't fit any more new clients in my schedule, I'm booked until Fall. I can't go back to work tomorrow for $17/hr when I had fun this weekend with three clients and made more money.
Problem is, my boss really really loves me. I'm like a model of the perfect employee, have tons of stamina and endurance under the hot sun and mosquito swarms, and get all the new employees excited to sweat and ache and bleed for butterflies. She has bought me a winter coat, had Instacart send me goodies when I had Covid, paid for mine and my son's tickets to Longwood Gardens, really understanding when I needed a day off, everything but give me good wages.
I need help. What is a polite way of saying, “I'm sorry, but I can't fit you in my schedule?”
Here's the kicker: When I first started working for her, I also had a part time job in the evenings somewhere else that required me to be done working by 4pm so I can get there on time. She convinced me to quit, saying what they pay me isn't worth my time.