About a month ago I joined a gym that opened up right by my house. On my first visit I picked up my kids from the kid's room and found that the owner of the gym, a middle-aged guy, was watching them. I asked if he liked babysitting or if he just hadn't hired anybody yet and he said he hadn't been able to find anyone. So, to be nice, and figuring I could earn a little Christmas cash I told him I could help him out for a little while if he didn't mind me bringing my kids. He said I would get a free gym membership plus hourly pay and hired me on the spot. He told me to come the next day.
I worked every morning for two weeks 9-12:30. Originally he told me only 3 days a week. My three year old doesn't mind it, but my 1 year old was having a hard time missing morning naps. It has turned out to be harder than I anticipated on my kids, plus I've put in more days than I had been told I would. I'm having surgery in 3 weeks and told him that I would help him until then, even though he has hired someone else to fill in the other two weekdays.
So I find out that even though I only worked out 1 time before I was hired I could not be reimbursed that months membership fee because when it was paid I was not an employee. Whatever.
So I got charged this month too. When I told him about the oversight he explained, "Oh, well you have to put in at least twelve hours a week to get the membership." Um, hello!?! If I work three days a week the most I can put in is 11.5! Totally something that would have been good to know when I was hired. Also, even though I've had two paychecks now he keeps, "forgetting" to pay me for my first two days of work that I was not on the computer for.
So I'm dragging my kids to this job, which they hate, which now I hate. I'm not ever working out because I'm using my mornings to work, yet I'm still paying the stupid membership fees. I would just quit, but I still want to be a member and go there to work out, but not if I have all these nasty vibes going on with the owner and other employees.
So do I just bite the bullet for three more weeks? What would you do?
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
I would quit immediatley but still go there to work out. You probably don't interact that much with the employees and boss while in the gym do you? (edit): oops this is libertygirl not dr.strangelove.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Raise a fuss - if it's a new business, he's likely to be concerned with what people (especially people in the immediate area, which it sounds like you are) think.
Phrase it politely but firmly - that you have been patient, but if he does not take active steps toward fulfilling the promises he made to you when you were hired, you'll be forced to take steps.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Quit immediately and go to work out. You don't havae to talk to the owner.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
I would think that because it all started with you being nice and offering to take the position, the boss wouldn't mind if you explained to him that it wasn't working out. I would also focus more on the negative effects it's having on your kids, and not on the membership dues and hours, just because it will help keep any future encounters pleasant. I mean, really, if your child needs his nap and this is seriously affecting theirs and your life, the boss-man should completely understand, and if he doesn't, well, you really don't want to work for him in the first place, right?
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
"I'm sorry, this has been far more stressful on both me and my kids than I thought it would be. I don't even have time to work out. Thank you for hiring me, but I need to quit."
Posted by DaisyMae (Member # 9722) on :
As far as future interactions go, it's a small gym, not like a Gold's, and the owner is at the front desk a large percentage of the time. I could quit and bear whatever negativity there may be, but I'm really sensitive and can't help but think I'd perceive some resentment.
However, I am learning to stand up for myself. But isn't it pretty standard to give two weeks notice? If that's the case, I only have three more anyway. Would it tighten the tension to just quit without notice?
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Is this a formal job? It sounded pretty casual, in which case I don't think it would be terribly bad form to give a fews days notice.
Posted by DaisyMae (Member # 9722) on :
Yeah, you're probably right. I think I could handle that. I'll let you know what goes down.
Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
I think you have the right be a little more annoyed than that. I would remind him that he offered a free gym membership when he offered you the job and he should honor that. Period. There was a time you were working more than 12 hours a week even though that was not your original agreement so he should at least give you a month or two free. He also needs to IMMEDIATELY pay you the money you've already earned. Tell him you were trying to be nice and help out a new, struggling business but now he has seemed to take advantage of your kindness and you have had enough. It is ok to stand up for yourself. He might think that he can just push you around. Don't let him! Girl power! Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I would quit the job and cancel the membership. The man sounds like a liar and a cheat to me. If that's a wrong impression, I guess I'm probably just biased by the other gyms I've belonged to over the years, all of which were nasty places run by nasty people, and, typically, just a place to get ripped off.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
Quit the job, quit the membership, demand your money back. Do you have anyone who can help you make this kind of demand? It's often easier to stand up for someone else than to stand up for yourself, at least that's what I find.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I agree with Bob. I think I even agree with KoM.
O_o
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
If all else fails, I don't know where you live, but if the man refuses to give you your due, regardless of how large or small it is, consider calling a local television station.
I imagine they are all the same no matter what city you're in, but in Detroit, half the news anymore is about how the station sent their "Ruth to the Rescue" or "Hall of Shame" rip off buster units out into the community to fight for the little guy. They take a special glee in sticking it to people in power who screw over people not in power without the means to enact their own enforcement, and if this place is that small, I'd have to imagine any negative press at all would be harmful to their business, especially when it's probably a relatively small amount of money being discussed.
Local stations love uncovering fraud, and helping people out. Whether it's for ratings, altruism, or just that they LOVE to get these people, they're remarkably tenacious about it.
Posted by DaisyMae (Member # 9722) on :
The thing is, I don't hate this guy. He's a nice guy. I think his managerial skills need improvement, and I have my suspicions that he may have even intentionally not informed me about the twelve hour minimum to get me to take the job, but I don't want to make big waves or try to get back at him. That's not my nature. And I have no doubts that he has every intention to pay me for those first two days. I'm just not a priority in his world. He's not a bad guy though.
It just so happens that the way the next three weeks work out I'll be able to get free babysitting for my kids while I work if I want. A perk from my husbands work we didn't know about. We get 20 free babysitting days a year. And it's October. So I think I'm just going to finish the shifts I've committed to, push the issue with the money owed and politely let him know that it wasn't cool for him to have deceived me. I'll see if he will offer some kind of compensation. Whatever the case, now that some of the anger isn't boiling over, I've decided that even if he does a couple of things that seem low and inconsiderate, I don't have to.
I appreciate everyone's responses though. It helped me realize that my anger was not unfounded and that I do have a right to expect certain things from this guy. I'm not going to let myself get screwed. I'm just going to try to be nice about it.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Good for you. On both counts. Posted by DaisyMae (Member # 9722) on :
So, for whoever may have been curious, I told the guy that if he wanted to start looking for someone new, he should and that I'd like to be done as soon as he can get someone else hired. He told me the next day that he'd have someone by next week and Thursday was my last day. Pretty painless really. No hard feelings and I'm (happily) out of a job.
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
I'm concerned that he hired you without a background check or proper educational requirements. And that he was watching the kids by himself. I don't know about your state, but aside from being incredibly unsafe, I'm pretty sure it's illegal, at least here. In other words, it doesn't sound like his gym daycare is operating within any legal boundaries I know about. Course, your state may be far more lenient about these things than mine.
In any case, I'm glad you quit and hope you're leaving the gym, just for the reasons I listed. The daycare isn't properly run, IMO.
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Um, hello!?! If I work three days a week the most I can put in is 11.5! Totally something that would have been good to know when I was hired. Also, even though I've had two paychecks now he keeps, "forgetting" to pay me for my first two days of work that I was not on the computer for.![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
What would you do?
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