Honestly, I’m not sure if this is the right place for this, but here it goes.
Background: I’m a cosmetologist (hair stylist) and I’ve had a few jobs in different salons and various other jobs in the past few years due to awful management or extenuating circumstances (like a pandemic lol).
When I was hired in my current salon, I was told that it was a commission position (51/49% if anyones curious) and that I’d be a 1099 employee. Okay, no worries, I don’t know how the average commission stylist gets taxes deducted and it’s probably easier for the owner, no big deal. I start working and she says that she’d send me my pay via Zelle, I figure that was because the first few clients I worked on were mostly to see if I was a capable stylist, again, no big deal. Then my next paycheck comes via Zelle, and the next, and the next. I’m not too worried about it, but it’s odd to me. And it’s probably worth mentioning that I keep track of all the money I bring to the salon, I keep track of my clients names, service, and amount paid for service, she doesn’t even calculate that on her computer. Then I noticed some of my things weren’t where I’d left them so I got my things back from where they were, again, no big deal, maybe one of my coworkers needed to borrow a brush. Fast forward about a month and I walk in on my day off to drop something off at work and I see MY BOSS at my station, using my tools on her client. (You’re hard pressed to find a stylist that’ll let you borrow any tool unless they know you really well and have calculated whether or not you’ll drop it. Our tools are very expensive so stylists don’t share often unless you’re amazing friends) I had not been asked if my tools could be used and she kind of looked at me like she was shocked to see me. There were four other stations she could have used, but instead she used mine so she could use my tools and there are community tools in the back that she could have used! I let it go because I’m not going to bring it up in front of a client, but I’m still livid. I come into work today and some of my tools are plugged in elsewhere and are in places that I don’t leave them with the cords wrapped in a way I don’t do.
I’m beyond angry, but do I have the right? At first it was just that I got payed via Zelle and that was really strange and I’d just rather have my taxes taken out of my pay. But now my things are being used? It’s too much to take home every day, so that’s not really an option. But then I was talking with my roommate and I remembered that there’s no paperwork stating that I work here. I didn’t sign any papers, I don’t even think she has my social. But what do you think? I’m already looking for a new job, but I just want to make sure I’m not overreacting…