In trouble with my boss... weird situation, any advice appreciated.

[Ginismedicinal]

I'm a hairdresser with 30 years experience, I'm employed in a salon and FULLY booked up til the end of November, not even room for a cut and blow dry... but, my boss sat me down yesterday to say I'm not earning her enough money, she's having to 'carry me'!
I've been here 2 years and, strangely, they charge about £40 for a full head highlights, toners and cut and blow dry!! I've NEVER worked anywhere that charges less than £90+ for a service like this.
Obviously they can't be charging enough to cover wages/overheads etc, and suddenly, out of nowhere I've been taken asside for this chat that there's not enough money coming in.
I'm the only stylist here, I open up, I close etc, just me. How am I to earn them more money if I'm fully booked up months in advance? I don't even have ANY breaks etc.
Is there something I'm missing? I'm so confused by this sudden 'problem' where the solution is in the owners control, not mine... charge more for the services! 🤦🏻‍♀️

As a salon owner of 26 years,if you are fully booked you should be taking your money. If they are only charging around £40 for full head highlights and toner and finish they aren't charging enough. Is the owner a hairdresser.Do they work behind the chair.That service is normally around £100 as an adverage allowing for regional differences. They are extremely stupid, it's massively hard to get senior stylists at the moment and if you left,with social media, you could take a large chunk of their sales. If you were near me I would give you a job.

Once you've left, don't contact the clients directly - let them find you (but make yourself easily findable obviously). Otherwise she could cause all sorts of hassle if she thinks you are poaching her customers.

My friend's daughter worked in a hairdresser's exactly like this. I organised a CV for her and we applied for jobs - she got immediate interviews at some of the big chain salons and got offered a job at the first trial session. You don't need to put up with this.

Can I also add those suggesting the rent a chair model if you are considering this there are changes coming with labours workers rights stuff that will impact a lot of rent a chair salons. Look for another salon that will appreciate you or go mobile. Make sure that you are definitely self employed or employed.

Sounds to me like they haven’t been managing their business very well, and now they’re looking to pass the blame/ make excuses to themselves because they can’t face the truth- that they messed up.

As someone who is currently being priced out of a London hair salon I’ve been going to for 6 years because a full head of highlights with a toner is now £260 - can you tell me the exact location of this place - thanks 😂

This is terrible! You need to leave. I noticed my hairdresser wasn’t being valued by the salon owner, and the owner kept trying to sell me add ons each time I went in. It was awkward. I asked my hairdresser if she could come to my house and now she does. I pay her cash and she charges me £70 for colour and I give her a £20 tip. You could do home visits with clients you like and make more.

with your skills I would go look for another job your boss obviously doesn't appreciate you

Just leave...there's plenty of jobs for hairdressers

For the person who asked about a hairdressing version of Kitchen Nightmares- there is a show called Tabitha takes over. A v respected hairdresser looks at why various salons aren't doing the business that they might. Episodes are on YouTube. It's a fascinating look at the industry even though it's a few years ago now.

Who is there when you're off?

Why are you the only member of staff?

Lol I can picture this.

"YOU F&ING IDIOT! YOUR PRICES ARE TOO LOW! What are you doing, inhaling too much F&ing HAIRSPRAY you Peroxide PRAT! RAISE YOUR F*&^ING PRICES you absolute BOWL-CUT BELLEND!'

I'm in the industry and understand it fully. Something is definitely not right. 40 quid for any colour and cut doesn't even cover basic over heads. I would be leaving. It's dodgy as hell.

You should be on way more than min wage. Min wage if anything should be your safety net plus you should be entitled to earn commission on your takings and retail. Most salons follow this model because it works for both the stylist and the business.

You are entitled to an hours worth (unpaid) breaks a day. 20mins after 6 hours work. Please read up on what you're entitled to.

Between the pay and no breaks, you are being underpaid and exploited. You are also damaging your reputation by charging (her pricing) so little. You are worth more than this.

As a pp has said. Senior stylists that can run a fully booked, back to back column are rare. First salon you walk into, I bet you'll get the position.

Interview, choose a salon that works for you, you can be choosy. It's your market to play with at the moment. Go in with a yearly salary in mind plus commission and benefits. Ie, free hair colour and services for you, discount on electrical and retail products for personal use and the hours you want to work. Be reasonable and see what other salons in your area are paying. Check on glass door and indeed. Look at not only client reviews but staff reviews as well. Present yourself well and have your certificates and a digital portfolio (instagram or similar) and/or client referrals ready.

Be prepared to trades test and have several models ready as back up.

I would currently stay away from mobile and renting a chair unless you have enough guaranteed business that will follow you. Product costs, general overheads, delivery and equipment costs are at an all-time high. Squeezing a decent profit out of it will be a grind. Also, most salon offer ups killing and paid for technical courses. These are worth their weight in gold. Working solo runs the risk of your skill set diminishing. Stylists often work to the level or aspire to the level of the best stylists around them. Keep pushing your skill set and technical ability. Keep on top of trends and the actual worth of the worl thay you produce. Due to the market currently stylists are selling themselves short because salon owners are struggling to turn the same margins of profit that they had been in previous years.

I came on to suggest something like this: renting a chair in a salon. Whatever you go for, I hope it all goes well, certainly you have the hairdressing skills, just need to start to learn the business side and other posters have given excellent pointers and links 💇

Those are ridiculous prices and she is taking you for granted. Have recently had to move hairdressers in London @ £195 for half head of highlights with cut and blowdry. To £145 at a good suburban place. Move and get your own chair with decent rates. Everyone loves an experienced hairdresser.

I agree, whatever her issue is it’s not your problem. Clients clearly want your service or you wouldn’t be so booked up.
Start looking for a new job.

Speaking in general terms it can sometimes happen that some companies, on occasions, may be slow to issue new employees with contracts of employment and "slow" may, sometimes, be several years. New employees are "supposed" to be issued with a contract of employment within a matter of weeks (the last time that I checked) of starting a new job. The question of whether an employee is not subject to the "terms of employment" just because they haven't been given a physical contract of employment can only be answered properly by an employment lawyer. I suspect that many employers may believe that all employees are subject to "terms of employment" regardless of whether or not a contract has been issued while many employees may believe that they are not subject to "terms of employment" if they have not received a contract. Regarding the OP to me it has the "whiff" of the employer wanting the OP to leave for whatever reason. My advice would be stay put.

Time to set up on your own.

I pay £135 for a T Section in NE Scotland and no toner required. Her prices are nuts.

You're probably subsidising your boss really.
Also it's illegal to expect an employee to work without breaks if you're working more than 4 hours per day.

You must have a contract, otherwise she is under no obligation to pay you. A contract doesn't have to be in writing to be a contract.

It sounds like you already know the answer - work elsewhere or set yourself up as self employed, renting a chair, or as a mobile hairdresser, or both.
I'm sure your happy clients would follow you.
And you can do it guilt-free as you've already told the owner where she's going wrong.
Good luck!

You need to move elsewhere or set up on your own. She has no clue by sounds of it

I'm quite the tightwad but even i can see those price are ridiculously low.
Its at least £35 for a cut and blow dry on it's own.
She surely can't even be covering her costs charging so little.
It seems the ideal setup for money laundering.

Look at moving to another salon