I have worked at a haircutting company (let’s say the name is… good cuts) for almost a decade now. I enjoy what I do, I make decent tip money, I can recognize 85% of the people who walk into my salon by name because I’ve been there so long. My income is roughly 50% tips 50% hourly wage right now. I am making about $12 an hour after a decade of work under my current owners. The same brand of salon in the next town over(closer to my house), under different ownership, contacted me last week offering a $2 raise to what I’m currently making.
Last week I called our district manager into a meeting and asked if my wages could be matched with the offer I received from the other salon. I was informed no, they don’t pay anyone under our franchise that high, and they likely never will. For context there have been years I have received as little as a 0.04 raise from them.
I’m devastated. With the cost of everything going up, I feel like I have no choice financially but to take the new job offer, but that means leaving behind a community of clients I have grown to love over a decade of service. I know I have the skills to be successful wherever I land, but I’m also leaving behind the last two coworkers left in our salon to go somewhere else. Currently three of us run the entire operation because we’ve been on a skeleton crew for so long, and we’ve been together for 10 years.
I know we wouldn’t be so criminally understaffed if we would be paying what the other local salons are willing to offer their employees, but it’s still so hard for me to pick up and leave. Having to watch our owners attempt to put together “parties” and other events, or buy Costco snacks for our store, but not willing to pay us at minimum industry average… It’s heartbreaking.
I’m heartbroken over what I know I need to do.