At the beginning of this year I started doing photography for the company I work for. It’s separate from the regular work I do and I enjoy both sides of my job. Though the photography side is a bit shaky.
There were some growing pains as the months went on. Pay was here and there even though it was agreed that I would get $200 a shoot (one shoot a week) to start and we would negotiate a better rate in the coming months (I’m now 8 months into the job and no raise in sight, even after asking).
A few months ago,After I told my boss I won’t be available to shoot until I get my pay for the past few weeks (after being told he would drop it off and didn’t) he handed me several weeks worth of pay in CASH to ease things over. (Then proceeded to ask for some of it back so he can cut a check instead because he did it without consulting the owner, but this is a separate thing).
A while later, I did a shoot on 6/28 for the 4th of July. People were on vacation and there was a delay, but I was patient since it was a holiday. After weeks of hearing “this weekend, you’ll get paid this weekend” and being paid for other shoots I’ve done since then, I told my boss that I won’t be available the next week if there’s not a check for me. He then tells me (a month after telling me I’ll have a check “next week”) that he doesn’t have an invoice for that week and that I’ll need to send another.
Okay. So I did.
But even if it was my fault, why wait for over a month (while telling me I’ll get paid the “next week”) to tell me this? Why not tell me WEEKS ago after I sent him the pics?
Now it’s two days ago and he texts me about some shoots we have coming up and that he’s excited to talk about it today at our meeting we have before i work. I told him that I’m excited too (because I truly am) but if I don’t have a check for the 6/28 shoot I did over a MONTH ago that I won’t be available today.
He never replied and I didn’t show up today.
I haven’t heard from him yet but if this is how I’m going to be treated then I’m not sure I want to continue this job. I have another position at this company that takes up 3 full days of my week and ANOTHER job that I do daily and wake up at 4 am for. Not to mention the freelance I also do. I feel like I’m being taken advantage of because I enjoy what I do and want to do it for a living. I love media and entertainment but I’m a college graduate and I have a home/family to take care of so I can’t do it for free.
Any advice or info would be appreciated!