Are you getting paid for the hours you work?
We received the following questions from one of our equine job seeker newsletter subscriber:
“I am a groom for a breeding operation(almost 4 years now), as well as take care of the same farm when the owner travels. I groom three mornings a week, I also handle the horses as far as feed, in and out of barn, etc…very hot horses, and not always easy to care for. When the foals come, I help train them, imprint them, etc….if there is a breed show, I help prepare them for the show and also attend. The owner is traveling more and more…and when she travels, I feed in am, pm, and also groom stalls, hay, watch over farm.
However, it is a part time, pay per hour job. I work another job, plus do my own business on the side. I have had friends tell me that they feel the owner is taking advantage of me, as it is just pay per hour….I actually alter my other jobs around her farm to take care of her horses. I do not charge for gas back and forth either. My pay is $XX.XX per hour and this has never gone up. I love her horses, and I am fond of the owner, but I need some advice. I am having financial difficulties and have to get another job…to replace the second job(not the farm job), living here in this expensive area as a single person, is very hard. Can you make any suggestions for me? “
This position involves more responsibility than the average Groom position. This person is taking on the role of a Barn Manager some of the time, particularly when the employer is away. She is right to be exploring the possibility that the employer is taking advantage of her. Employers who hire part time help have a tendency to increase the employee’s duties over time and expect them to take on more responsibility without changing their compensation. This is not good personnel management practice, but it usually happens because the employer just doesn’t think about it. This employee is actually lucky she is being paid by the hour. Being paid by the hour means she is automatically paid more when she works more hours. The old saying “There are no part time jobs, only part time salaries” refers to situations where employees are hired part-time on a fixed salary, and then the employer increases their work load without increasing their pay. This is just like giving someone a cut in pay when you ask them to do more work that takes more time.
This employee has been working for this employer for four years without any pay increases. It appears that the employer is not accepting responsibility to at least keep up with inflation. By allowing this situation to continue for 4 years, the employee has “trained” the employer into thinking that this is OK. This makes it very hard to suddenly jump up one day and ask for a raise. It is better to address this kind of situation up front. Before you accept a job, when you are negotiating with employers, ask about their policy regarding raises. Do it diplomatically. You might ask if they have a regular time of year that they consider giving raises. Some employers give raises in January each year. By asking this question, you are putting the employer on notice that you won’t work for them forever without some sort of opportunity for a pay increase.
So, if you are negotiating for a part time job, it is usually a good idea to be paid by the hour. If the employer is offering you a salary, be prepared to be definite about the hours you will be working and stick to your guns. If the employer wants to increase your hours, be prepared to immediately discuss changing your salary. Don’t let your fondness for the job or the employer get in the way of negotiating fair treatment. But, be diplomatic and creative. Work on negotiating an arrangement that is fair for you and for your employer.
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