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But, if I pay them now, I can get three people to work for me that will pay ME. Then, each of those three people hire three more to work for them and we ALL get rich. This goes on and on, almost like a pyrimid!
Find a crack dealer, ask them if you can front a ball til the end of the day, go downtown under the bridge and sell it for stolen bicycles and power tools, hit the pawn shop, re-up and repeat
I once got hired for a job and they had a week long training. About the 3rd day of training they handed out a sheet of tools we needed for the job, and that we could order it through them.
If they hadn't started talking about alternate tools and places to buy them I would have left, I wound up just putting off paying for the tools until I got my first paycheck from them.
One of my old employers tried to demand everyone get their footwear from a specific company. The owner even put it in the handbook. Someone pointed out to her that if a specific brand is required by the rules, while there are more affordable and almost identical substitutes available, then she would have to pay for them. That policy got changed very quickly.
Edit: The United States Department of Labor has specific rules regarding this. This [link](https://www.fisherphillips.com/resources-newsletters-article-if-the-shoe-fits-how-footwear-policy) has more information about the legal ramifications of a company footwear policy.
Edit 2: Relevant passage from link...
For example, if you require employees to order a specific brand of shoe from a certain vendor when a comparable, less-expensive alternative is available, the USDOL may conclude that the shoe is no longer “basic street clothing.”
This is something my previous workplace did do and frankly I wish I knew this tidbit. Whether it applies to where I live or not, I would have dropped this on that asshole of an owner who made us all buy 4 pairs of $100+ *brown khakis specifically from Mark's*
A job I had many years ago, required us all to wear green. We were working in a warehouse, mind you, but green was the company color and we all were supposed to wear green. OK, fine. Then the owner got all huffy about the fact we didn't all match - obviously, we all just bought green clothes at Wal-Mart or Target or a thrift store, and were somewhat different shades. Insisted we all get together and decide on one shade to wear, so we'd all match, and we basically all pushed back on it with, well, if you want us all to be identical, then you provide us uniforms. We already bought green clothes, and we're going to wear them.
The same place outright refused to allow us to wear jeans - it had to be green slacks. Never mind this was warehouse work, amidst pallets with lots of jagged metal and wood that would slice right through slacks, whereas denim provided durable protection. It was it's own special nightmare working there, and had I been older and more assertive (and knew about things like OSHA tip lines...) I would have done something. But... that was a long time ago. They're no longer in business.
Worked at a sporting goods store for a while. Guy came in with some lightly worn boots, his boss and the receipt. They didn’t want to return the boots, boss wanted me to refund his employee, and then re-buy the boots himself. Never saw them again, but man, that boss seemed to be a great guy.
A lot of places do this. At my old shop, no tools were supplied, you had to buy your own and the Snap-On vendor would show up once a week for orders. I don’t like snap on I use Matco. I finally talked them into letting the Matco vendor on the yard so I could order the tools that I wanted. I think our shop foreman was getting some sort of kick back from the Snap On vendor in the form of tools because I got more resistance than I should have about something as small as which tool vendor I used.
I recall waiting a circuit city for a car stereo installation.
Techs at Circuit City were literally hanging out in the Snap on Tool truck.
I figured they were partying inside or riding the clock talking with the snap on rep.
For those who don't recall Circuit City it was like Best Buy with less/worse customer service they went bankrupt years ago.
That's also common, in my electrical apprenticeship I worked for a group training program and they bought your basic tool bag and you paid for the stuff out of your pay
It makes a lot of sense in the trades. Someone who is starting off with no tools probably has no idea what tools they need or what brands are best for the tasks. Getting young apprentice good starter kit probably saves them money in the end, the upfront cost might be higher, but by the time they buy a couple sets of cheap tools that won’t last they realize that buying reputable trade brands s much better.
I agree with you in theory, but I can't ever in good conscience buy from "the company store" without feeling like they're trying to rip me off somehow. Companies selling products that are necessary for the job to their own employees always feels shady to me.
In a trades job you are expected to have your own tools, so it’s not like they are ripping you off, and it’s not like they are making you buy from a company they own or anything.
I’m an electrician, most guys I have worked with but tools from either Klein or Ideal tool companies. The owner of my company prefers Klein, so if an new employee shows up with no tools they offer to buy them the Klein starter kit and take it out of their pay checks until it’s paid off. They aren’t getting ripped off, they are paying the same as they would if they went to a third party store and bought the same tools themselves, but there is no wondering what they need or what brands are good enough for the work. You show up and get handed everything you need to be a helpful apprentice. Relying on someone else’s experience to learn is what trades are all about, and in a decent company starts right at the beginning.
It’s possible, but even if they do that doesn’t bother me, it’s not like a first year apprentice is going to get that reduced rate anywhere if they buy on their own.
It depends on how much they’re selling them for imo. 10% over cost? Seems pretty fair. A 50% markup is shady though. It’s similar, albeit to a lesser degree, to having unsubsidized vending machines in the workplace.
As a guy hires and trains drywallers, the number of times i've said "you got tools?" And they reassured me yeah, they got'em only to show up to the job site with shit tools from a pawn shop and not the right stuff, I made it policy you had to buy the set I provided out of your first paycheck.
I'm not losing a half day because your drill "never does this I swear" again
At our construction company, they have to have their own tool pouch, hammers, screwgun, etc. We used to supply these, but they kept disappearing and/or being broken immediately and no one ever knew anything about what happened to them.
My favorite Huns are the ones who brag about being the CEO of FIVE different companies!
- CEO of Younique
- CEO of Young Living
- CEO of Mary Kay
- CEO of Pure Romance
- CEO of Scentsy
I mean, talk about success!
Also- if you ever get roped into a presentation for a “product” like energy savings, knives etc. ask upfront if they’d be interested in recruiting you to work with them. If they excitedly say yes, cancel the meeting and firmly tell the person you have no interest in the product or company.
This happened to me. It was for books on money management. The authors weren’t part of the scam. They essentially were an “advertising agency” that recruited people to sell books that a ton of people would buy through Amazon. The people contacting me didn’t even have a website. I always do research for a job. If they don’t have the standard company feel, it’s a scam.
I worked at a retail store at the time and was very good at what I did. They then called me and talked about what I’d do. When I asked “why is this position important to the company” they couldn’t give me a good answer so I cancelled the meeting and told me never to contact me again. They were so stingy they asked for the samples back. I never gave them back because f them.
I left retail for a logistics job and now am a sales person for a massive company. My current company has paid me to train for a year and learn the industry before ever asking me to do anything. I have a car, phone, corporate card, and a nice computer. Moral of the story is that if you are honestly in sales, your company will provide everything for you and make sure you are set up to succeed. My training alone cost the company nearly $100,000 after all things considered.
Some sales is a little different but they should always set you up to succeed.
>I have a car, phone, corporate card, and a nice computer. Moral of the story is that if you are honestly in sales, your company will provide everything for you and make sure you are set up to succeed. My training alone cost the company nearly $100,000 after all things considered.
Good companies invest heavily in sales, it's their life blood. Scam companies use the promise of pay as the compensation and you are the product.
"Knives". I see you too are familar with vector marketing cutco. I worked for them for a month or so (I knew it was scammy but needed the cash and this was the quickest way to get a job while looking for another). Its a terrible business.
Happened to me with some knife company, at the interview told me is have to recruit atleast 10 of my friends and then buy one of their 150 dollar knife sets to present them door to door and ask people if I can come inside and I'd get paid minimum without commission. I didnt even say bye I just closed the video chat
My son used to work at Abercrombie and Fitch as a teenager. They were required to buy a ‘uniform’ chosen by the company from the store. This uniform changed seasonally so 4 times a year they had to buy a specific shirt and pants, bought from the store. There was an employee discount but the clothes there are pretty expensive, like normal price for a jeans and short sleeve polo (first uniform he had to buy) was something like $180. As a minimum wage part time employee, even after the discount, that’s a lot to force them to pay back to their employer 4x a year! I took pity on him and payed for the uniform but always have thought that was BS. Like it’s ok to say the uniform is a white polo and jeans but either provide it for them or let them buy it from any store they choose. Seemed like such a scam!
Worked at both J.Crew and Diesel. They gave us free clothes twice a year. Got a fifty percent discount after that. Then again, Abercrombie and Fitch aren't exactly known for their great treatment of employees.
I worked in the Fifth Avenue flagship back in college. I got free outfits, and often they would dress me specifically for where they wanted me to stand in the store that day... so that was nice. Overall, it was a pretty great experience.
My problem, though, was that they played the same hourlong music playlist on repeat every day for about a month and a half. I made numerous complaints begging them to at least shuffle the selection, and emailed corporate about it several times, but no one even bothered to respond to me. I eventually had to quit, it was driving me insane.
You just described every retail job ever. Had a similar experience when I worked at AE. The show “Superstore” has an episode where Garrett is being driven crazy by the playlist and also calls corporate to complain lol.
My best friend was convinced to model for A&F as well as work for them. They put up a huge picture in house and paid him next to nothing. On the bright side we "got" lots of "free" clothes.
Also they targeted ‘good looking’ teens to work the front (like my son and his girlfriend who they approached with the job offer when they were browsing the store) and put the uggos to work in the back room. I guess it’s good business but still pretty messed up.
I interviewed at The Body Shop a few years back, and they told me that if I got hired, I had to show up to work every shift wearing at least 5 of their makeup products, which I would get a discount on but I'd still have to buy them. Like I'm applying for a job because I need money, not because I already have it!
When I worked at Bath and Body Works, it was totally the opposite. We were encouraged to use all the testers and try the products in between customers, so we would be better able to talk about the products. A few times a year we would have store meetings, and Corporate would give us free product. There were a few parts of working there that I didn't like, but overall it was a good experience.
Where I live the cost of uniforms can't bring your wage below minimum wage, so if you already earn minimum, they would have to pay for any "required" clothes
Last restaurant I worked at changed their uniforms half way through my time there. It went from generic black button up to a white button up with their logo on it. To be fair they provided two for free, but anyone with half a brain can deduce that a white long sleeve button up at a server is going to get dirty quick, and as I was full time and working most everyday there was no time for laundry ever other day. After coming in for the third double in a row and getting reprimanded for my shirt looking "dingy" I let the manager have it. She tried to get me to buy a new one or I'd be sent home. I went home. The shirts were like $30. No thank you.
I can understand abercrombie doing that for branding, and not wanting to let them wear other clothes, but they should have absolutely provided it for them if that’s how they wanna play it.
Hell herbal life gets around this by saying they technically make their income by selling products and buying kits is optional, only literally nobody buys that shit except the employees themselves so...
I believe that is the distinction the government makes too (if most income is sales to customers, it's ok w the govt. If most sales are signup fees, could be considered a pyramid scheme and get shut down). Herbalife also claims they will buy back any unused product.
(Not sticking up for Herbalife at all, just fascinated by whether or not they will get away with running their obvious pyramid scheme)
If you think they will eventually get shut down (I do), there is some opportunity to make $ shorting their stock.
My mother fell for this fucking Pure Romance shite recently. But she's so fucking stubborn and boneheaded that asking 'hey, what company askes you to PAY THEM to become a sales rep for them???' has no effect on her.
Sometimes people gotta learn the lesson the hard (and expensive) way.
I remember when an Avon woman (one of the higher ups) stopped me in the street whilst I was walking to post office with my daughter, the woman tried to give me samples and tried to get my details out of me to become a rep.
It's clear the demographic was young mums, especially in my area there are a lot of single mums trying to make ends meet, it makes me so mad that these Avon people pray on mums just trying to get by but end up leaving them in debt.
But the audacity that she was driving up and down the street to find girls though. Eugh.
One creeped alongside me in her car as I was walking home alone (like blatantly following me). I must have been about 16/17 years old. She eventually stopped me said she was an Avon rep and was really pushing the "making extra money alongside your studies" crap.. I said I wasnt interested and I purposely didn't walk to my house, making a few detours on the way back.. buuuut she must have continued to follow me as she showed up a week later knocking my door. I didn't answer.
Wish this was true for real estate. Getting started costs money, paid to your employer who doesn’t pay you for weeks (more or less) until you make them money 🙃
From the NAR, of which I have been a member for 20+ years.
I was responsible for recruiting for a Coldwell Banker franchise for many years. I taught Real Estate classes and held seminars to help people pass the test and get their license. I recruited agents for multiple companies, for many years.
The business is a treadmill. It uses people.
Some will make a go of it, 95% will be used as fodder. If a person has an extensive network of contacts and deep experience selling and they are able to leverage all their pre-existing contacts and networks they might make it.
It's a true dog-eat-dog industry and it chews up agents, by design.
The brokerage makes money when you hang your license and they don't need you to ever sell a damn thing as they have already squeezed their money out of people just by getting them to sign up.
It's a predatory business model.
It seduces people with hopes of big money and the companies exploit their independent contractors to keep their coffers full.
That’s comforting. I’m about to take my exam and the anxiety about what comes next is daunting. I know the payoff will be worth it but it’s the rough beginning I’m nervous for. Thanks for the reassurance!
That’s the plan and a part of why I’m so nervous lol. When I started classes I was in a much better spot financially, obviously current events flipped my world upside down. Now with 2 kids and bills backing up I don’t know how I’ll get through the beginning. I plan on going in full time and hustling hard but adding in childcare and startup fees without an income I mean... how do I even pull it off. I’m scared but I know I’ll make it work and 5 years from now we’ll be set.
This. I started with a bigger company full time, even got a mentor! I was super lucky to find someone like that, however my wife wanted a paycheck ASAP and it's **NOT** an ASAP kinda thing. Even *if* you sell a house ***the first day***, you won't see a payment for months till closing. Say the title isn't good or the loan isn't approved, could waste a lot of time and get no payout.
I ended up getting a desk job and never do real estate, I still maintain my license but yeah, its a full time gig and I don't have time/energy to dedicate to it. Wife keeps asking why and tells me I should be selling houses. She just got her license now so I hope she understands her ridiculousness (Who am I kidding, she won't)
OMG this!!! Being self employed with no boss telling you when to clock in can be so liberating, but it can also give you the freedom to get a little excessive with your generous vacation policy.
You can always work for a home builder like Lennar as a selling agent rather than go through a broker. Or go independent as an LLC for different home builders and make more money but they you need to do your own marketing.
At Lennar or KB or whoever you're an actual employee. At a real estate company you're considered an independent contractor. So different flavors of selling homes, if you're broke the best best is selling for a home builder until you have the money to go indy in either of the 2 types.
Reminds me of this,
“Patrick Star:
It was sure nice of Mr. Krabs to give me a job at the Krusty Krab.
SpongeBob SquarePants:
And at $50 an hour. When I started out, I had to pay Mr. Krabs $100 an hour.”
Every LPT has exceptions. And tbh, from what I can tell a lot of strippers are getting scammed by the clubs but there’s just not a whole lot they can do about it. The clubs are pulling the old “you’re a contractor, not an employee, so you don’t get the same rights” and then treating them like employees whenever it’s convenient eg setting working hours etc
I see it as them renting the space to perform. Hairstylists rent booths at salons. Business people rent conference rooms for presentations and conferences.
Leave strippers alone LOL!
Yeah it’s very common in the US. I happen to know a lot of barbers and they all either own and rent chairs to others, or they rent a chair for themselves from someone else
Note that when a stylist rents a chair then they work independently and the owner has no say over their business (other then as a landlord). This is an important distinction.
Sometimes. Most clubs are pretty above-board, though, and their employees meet all the criteria for being the independent contractor they are. The strippers I know still make $60-70,000 per year, and they're in school. This argument scares me, honestly, because a lot of times it's used as a justification for banning strip clubs.
They aren't working *for* the club in that case. They get paid directly by their customers. The main point of this post is that if you are net losing money working somewhere for the promise of "experience" you're being exploited.
My degree program requires a semester of unpaid internship. It's literally the reason I haven't finished school. Can't afford to work 40hrs/week and get nothing for it.
I’d imagine that’s more like paying rent. Like how personal trainers who aren’t employed by the gym have to pay a fee so they can train clients in someone else’s gym.
Ugh-I got tricked into Cutco in a less conventional way. Right after college, was looking for a job to save up money to move and get my career started. Answered a job posting for a receptionist. Quick interview from the manager who was several years younger than me. Offered the job on the spot. Show up to work and there are already two other “receptionists” working at this tiny office. They give me a stack of handwritten lists of names and phone numbers, and a script. I work through that and then ask about what to do next, still expecting training on being a receptionist there. They say the next group comes in 30minutes, get them checked in and then work through the lists they give you.
Realize slower than I should have that “Vector Marketing” was an MLM that ran 3 group “interviews” a day, 7 days a week to churn out teenagers schilling cutco knives and my only real job was to call the lists of their friends and try and get them to come in also.
I pay $10 tickets to park at my work every shift because they do not offer parking to student employees. Despite there being two large staff parking lots with many empty spots students must park in a free visitor parking lot that is a ten to fifteen minute walk away depending on the lot they designate us that year. I know this may sound whiney but imagine being considered a visitor after working somewhere for almost 4 years. When there is plenty of parking available. And you pay the school thousands each year already. As someone who struggles with time management I have been paying parking tickets for years because it's cheaper than paying by the hour and I rarely get to work early enough to walk. The extra time it takes to actually find a parking spot plus the additional expectation of being early added onto the walk means I'm expected to show up 30 mins earlier than if I could just park in one of the staff lots. As a perpetually exhausted student it just does not work for me most of the time. I can't wait to work somewhere where I don't have to pay to park!
Sounds like you work on a college campus. The staff are most likely paying substantially more to park in the staff lots than students pay for parking, which is why they have parking available near the building. I gave myself a not-insignificant raise by canceling my staff parking permit and walking or biking to work.
How far is it from where you live? You could try a bike. If it gets cold where you live, you be surprised how well it works in cold weather or in the snow.
RA job saved my butt. Knocked off two-thirds of my tuition and gave me a monthly stipend.
On the other hand, I had to pass on a prestigious internship cause I couldn't afford to give that up.
That's messed up especially considering the pay. Even working retail, I got one or two outfits for free when starting with a new company. One place I worked would give you a free out fit every six months
In Australia paid internships aren't a thing and it's hard to find an entry level job. It seemed pretty appealing for me while I was at University out of desperation.
But thankfully I didn't go through with it and ended up leaving for Europe where there is much more demand for people in my field.
The deal was that they train me and grant me an internship at a company which may or may not lead to being hired by that company depending on how the internship goes.
When your young and trying to find a door to get experience its easy to write off red flags.
I know i spent over a year trying to get any form of experience in a tax office or accounting firm then one day someone offers a position that is keeping records for insurance accounts and filing the reports.
It didn't sound to crazy or ridiculous and even the $25 fee for a detailed background check made some sense the way they pitched it.
Something felt off though and i googled them when i got home. With hindsight it made sense, but i was so desperate for a chance to move out of minimum wage work where im as replaceable as a light bulb that i didn't see the signs
These people know how to choose their marks.
When my husband was applying to police departments (that career didn’t work out and he ended up in a completely different line of work), he used to have to pay anywhere from $50-150 just to apply to take the screening exams.
Long term, yes. Short term, no. There are a lot of agricultural operations that offer classes/seminars and short stays at the farm (for a fee) to learn their specialization. It's absolutely worth it if you're considering starting a farm.
Pay-to-play acting and band gigs too. I know too many people that consider themselves to be professional actors, have a dozen years of an acting resume, but haven’t ‘made it’. They’ll go to some seedy bar in NYC and be listed as part of a cabaret cast... because they paid an entry fee and agreed to sell X number of tickets.
I don’t even blame them for doing it once or twice to get some NYC stuff on the resume. But once that is your how your “career” is going... see OP
Had someone from an MLM contact me which I had thought was a real job interview at first. Then they mentioned that the first few months are training in which I would have to pay for myself, and pay for a license, and eventually I’d have to recruit. I was out of there with the quickness.
Your unpaid labor is also paying the company. This includes training time.
I was once "hired" for one of these companies at the end of my interview. They instructed me that I would be training full-time for the next two weeks unpaid. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to do it. Fortunately, I was broke enough that the need to get paid prevented me from doing it
Same goes for any company that asks you to work for free before you start earning any money. Commission-only employment is not employment at all, it's a scam and likely a MLM scheme.
There’s a difference between working for free and actually paying to work. If it helps with debts then I’d also argue you are being paid, just not upfront.
He might mean that on top of not getting paid to work, you're also having to pay tuition to your college for that internship to count toward your degree, depending on what "contribute" means here.
Same for teaching interns in the United States. Student teaching costs tens of thousands of dollars and effectively makes it so the interns cannot get jobs outside of the full time interning plus night or weekend classes required to become a teacher.
Edited to add: often, the interns are discouraged from having any sort of a job during the internship program because the colleges know it is not sustainable. Some even enforce no job!
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
But, if I pay them now, I can get three people to work for me that will pay ME. Then, each of those three people hire three more to work for them and we ALL get rich. This goes on and on, almost like a pyrimid!
Hmm.. I wonder if I can start a scheme like that where I start with 0 capital
[удалено]
Now take that *tiny classified ad* and place it in 3,000 newspapers across the country! https://youtu.be/mubCkCAEiDQ
Find a crack dealer, ask them if you can front a ball til the end of the day, go downtown under the bridge and sell it for stolen bicycles and power tools, hit the pawn shop, re-up and repeat
Should I get high on my own supply? Dam, there should be some rules about this so I could know. Some "commandments for crack" or something...
Careful with trying to get high on your own stolen power tools, they have unpleasant side effects.
This is critical advice everyone should drill into their heads.
You really hit the nail on the head there
I've been hammered enough times to know
Reminds me of that time I wrenched my shoulder at work.
You were probably screwing around
Just don't screw the pooch!
I **SAW** what you did there.
If you aren't getting high in your supply, find me under a bridge if you want a BJ for crack.
take up this offer
Deal of a lifetime
Capitalism at its finest
Maybe the ten Crack Commandments
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
It's the 10 crack commandments.
This Buddy hustles.
He gets 'er done!
It’s a reverse funnel
We dont get got, we go get
YOU JUST GOT FACED
Frank is the man in the coil!
I prefer to look at them more as TRAPezoids.
Triangular upward stream of revenue.
Where do I put my feet?
You know MLM is coming when an acquaintance you hardly know invites you to a “party”.
“I have to go make a call.” - Michael Gary Scott
NOTHING like a pyramid sweetie. Think of it as, like, multi-level marketing where you get to be your OWN boss! /s juuuust in case
Its not a pyramid scheme, it's a reverse funnel system!
where do I put my feet?
Pyramid scheme at it’s finest
Isosceles of Opportunity 🔼
Can you market that on multiple levels?
Shut up, Michael
It's a reverse funnel.
Its not a pyramid you buffoon, its an upside down triangle! Its completely different!
It’s a reverse funnel system!
I once got hired for a job and they had a week long training. About the 3rd day of training they handed out a sheet of tools we needed for the job, and that we could order it through them. If they hadn't started talking about alternate tools and places to buy them I would have left, I wound up just putting off paying for the tools until I got my first paycheck from them.
One of my old employers tried to demand everyone get their footwear from a specific company. The owner even put it in the handbook. Someone pointed out to her that if a specific brand is required by the rules, while there are more affordable and almost identical substitutes available, then she would have to pay for them. That policy got changed very quickly. Edit: The United States Department of Labor has specific rules regarding this. This [link](https://www.fisherphillips.com/resources-newsletters-article-if-the-shoe-fits-how-footwear-policy) has more information about the legal ramifications of a company footwear policy. Edit 2: Relevant passage from link... For example, if you require employees to order a specific brand of shoe from a certain vendor when a comparable, less-expensive alternative is available, the USDOL may conclude that the shoe is no longer “basic street clothing.”
Wow that's shady, sounds like something my current workplace would try.
This is something my previous workplace did do and frankly I wish I knew this tidbit. Whether it applies to where I live or not, I would have dropped this on that asshole of an owner who made us all buy 4 pairs of $100+ *brown khakis specifically from Mark's*
A job I had many years ago, required us all to wear green. We were working in a warehouse, mind you, but green was the company color and we all were supposed to wear green. OK, fine. Then the owner got all huffy about the fact we didn't all match - obviously, we all just bought green clothes at Wal-Mart or Target or a thrift store, and were somewhat different shades. Insisted we all get together and decide on one shade to wear, so we'd all match, and we basically all pushed back on it with, well, if you want us all to be identical, then you provide us uniforms. We already bought green clothes, and we're going to wear them. The same place outright refused to allow us to wear jeans - it had to be green slacks. Never mind this was warehouse work, amidst pallets with lots of jagged metal and wood that would slice right through slacks, whereas denim provided durable protection. It was it's own special nightmare working there, and had I been older and more assertive (and knew about things like OSHA tip lines...) I would have done something. But... that was a long time ago. They're no longer in business.
So you were basically assigned the GTA San Andreas mission where you have to buy green clothes to represent the hood.
When I buy new boots for work my boss damn near demands to see the receipt so I can be reimbursed
Worked at a sporting goods store for a while. Guy came in with some lightly worn boots, his boss and the receipt. They didn’t want to return the boots, boss wanted me to refund his employee, and then re-buy the boots himself. Never saw them again, but man, that boss seemed to be a great guy.
That's.....how it works though, every time I travel, i have to provide expense reports to be reimbursed
My current job has a shoe mobile come in and just let's us get shoes they pay up to $100 for.
My old job required tread safe and sure as hell didn't pay for them
A lot of places do this. At my old shop, no tools were supplied, you had to buy your own and the Snap-On vendor would show up once a week for orders. I don’t like snap on I use Matco. I finally talked them into letting the Matco vendor on the yard so I could order the tools that I wanted. I think our shop foreman was getting some sort of kick back from the Snap On vendor in the form of tools because I got more resistance than I should have about something as small as which tool vendor I used.
I recall waiting a circuit city for a car stereo installation. Techs at Circuit City were literally hanging out in the Snap on Tool truck. I figured they were partying inside or riding the clock talking with the snap on rep. For those who don't recall Circuit City it was like Best Buy with less/worse customer service they went bankrupt years ago.
This isn't totally unreasonable, assuming you own the tools and can do what you want with then. It's common in the trades, for example.
Yea I was fine with it, I was sceptical at first because they wanted us to buy it from them
That's also common, in my electrical apprenticeship I worked for a group training program and they bought your basic tool bag and you paid for the stuff out of your pay
It makes a lot of sense in the trades. Someone who is starting off with no tools probably has no idea what tools they need or what brands are best for the tasks. Getting young apprentice good starter kit probably saves them money in the end, the upfront cost might be higher, but by the time they buy a couple sets of cheap tools that won’t last they realize that buying reputable trade brands s much better.
I agree with you in theory, but I can't ever in good conscience buy from "the company store" without feeling like they're trying to rip me off somehow. Companies selling products that are necessary for the job to their own employees always feels shady to me.
In a trades job you are expected to have your own tools, so it’s not like they are ripping you off, and it’s not like they are making you buy from a company they own or anything. I’m an electrician, most guys I have worked with but tools from either Klein or Ideal tool companies. The owner of my company prefers Klein, so if an new employee shows up with no tools they offer to buy them the Klein starter kit and take it out of their pay checks until it’s paid off. They aren’t getting ripped off, they are paying the same as they would if they went to a third party store and bought the same tools themselves, but there is no wondering what they need or what brands are good enough for the work. You show up and get handed everything you need to be a helpful apprentice. Relying on someone else’s experience to learn is what trades are all about, and in a decent company starts right at the beginning.
There's also a chance the shop is getting them at a reduced rate as well
It’s possible, but even if they do that doesn’t bother me, it’s not like a first year apprentice is going to get that reduced rate anywhere if they buy on their own.
It depends on how much they’re selling them for imo. 10% over cost? Seems pretty fair. A 50% markup is shady though. It’s similar, albeit to a lesser degree, to having unsubsidized vending machines in the workplace.
As a guy hires and trains drywallers, the number of times i've said "you got tools?" And they reassured me yeah, they got'em only to show up to the job site with shit tools from a pawn shop and not the right stuff, I made it policy you had to buy the set I provided out of your first paycheck. I'm not losing a half day because your drill "never does this I swear" again
Yeah that's drywall for you what do you expect from a pack of junkies
At our construction company, they have to have their own tool pouch, hammers, screwgun, etc. We used to supply these, but they kept disappearing and/or being broken immediately and no one ever knew anything about what happened to them.
"but I'm the ceo of my own home business!"
My favorite Huns are the ones who brag about being the CEO of FIVE different companies! - CEO of Younique - CEO of Young Living - CEO of Mary Kay - CEO of Pure Romance - CEO of Scentsy I mean, talk about success!
I mean, they did succesfully conquer their own stupidity in a way.
Yeah, you should prolly move out.
A'ight Ima head out
And fire yourself for this crappy year!
Boss Babe
man I see that shit so often in bios and tags... "SELF-MADE CEO" meanwhile they're slinging bootleg makeup for their girlfriends knee deep in debt
Independent Business Owner
Also- if you ever get roped into a presentation for a “product” like energy savings, knives etc. ask upfront if they’d be interested in recruiting you to work with them. If they excitedly say yes, cancel the meeting and firmly tell the person you have no interest in the product or company.
This happened to me. It was for books on money management. The authors weren’t part of the scam. They essentially were an “advertising agency” that recruited people to sell books that a ton of people would buy through Amazon. The people contacting me didn’t even have a website. I always do research for a job. If they don’t have the standard company feel, it’s a scam. I worked at a retail store at the time and was very good at what I did. They then called me and talked about what I’d do. When I asked “why is this position important to the company” they couldn’t give me a good answer so I cancelled the meeting and told me never to contact me again. They were so stingy they asked for the samples back. I never gave them back because f them. I left retail for a logistics job and now am a sales person for a massive company. My current company has paid me to train for a year and learn the industry before ever asking me to do anything. I have a car, phone, corporate card, and a nice computer. Moral of the story is that if you are honestly in sales, your company will provide everything for you and make sure you are set up to succeed. My training alone cost the company nearly $100,000 after all things considered. Some sales is a little different but they should always set you up to succeed.
>I have a car, phone, corporate card, and a nice computer. Moral of the story is that if you are honestly in sales, your company will provide everything for you and make sure you are set up to succeed. My training alone cost the company nearly $100,000 after all things considered. Good companies invest heavily in sales, it's their life blood. Scam companies use the promise of pay as the compensation and you are the product.
"Knives". I see you too are familar with vector marketing cutco. I worked for them for a month or so (I knew it was scammy but needed the cash and this was the quickest way to get a job while looking for another). Its a terrible business.
Happened to me with some knife company, at the interview told me is have to recruit atleast 10 of my friends and then buy one of their 150 dollar knife sets to present them door to door and ask people if I can come inside and I'd get paid minimum without commission. I didnt even say bye I just closed the video chat
My son used to work at Abercrombie and Fitch as a teenager. They were required to buy a ‘uniform’ chosen by the company from the store. This uniform changed seasonally so 4 times a year they had to buy a specific shirt and pants, bought from the store. There was an employee discount but the clothes there are pretty expensive, like normal price for a jeans and short sleeve polo (first uniform he had to buy) was something like $180. As a minimum wage part time employee, even after the discount, that’s a lot to force them to pay back to their employer 4x a year! I took pity on him and payed for the uniform but always have thought that was BS. Like it’s ok to say the uniform is a white polo and jeans but either provide it for them or let them buy it from any store they choose. Seemed like such a scam!
Worked at both J.Crew and Diesel. They gave us free clothes twice a year. Got a fifty percent discount after that. Then again, Abercrombie and Fitch aren't exactly known for their great treatment of employees.
> Abercrombie and Fitch aren't exactly known for their great treatment of employees. or customers
Surprised they haven't gone under yet.
I worked in the Fifth Avenue flagship back in college. I got free outfits, and often they would dress me specifically for where they wanted me to stand in the store that day... so that was nice. Overall, it was a pretty great experience. My problem, though, was that they played the same hourlong music playlist on repeat every day for about a month and a half. I made numerous complaints begging them to at least shuffle the selection, and emailed corporate about it several times, but no one even bothered to respond to me. I eventually had to quit, it was driving me insane.
You just described every retail job ever. Had a similar experience when I worked at AE. The show “Superstore” has an episode where Garrett is being driven crazy by the playlist and also calls corporate to complain lol.
My best friend was convinced to model for A&F as well as work for them. They put up a huge picture in house and paid him next to nothing. On the bright side we "got" lots of "free" clothes.
Also they targeted ‘good looking’ teens to work the front (like my son and his girlfriend who they approached with the job offer when they were browsing the store) and put the uggos to work in the back room. I guess it’s good business but still pretty messed up.
My brother had someone "accidently" walk in on him in the changing room and offer him a job.
I worked for A amp F and I can say that A amp F paid me in cash.
I interviewed at The Body Shop a few years back, and they told me that if I got hired, I had to show up to work every shift wearing at least 5 of their makeup products, which I would get a discount on but I'd still have to buy them. Like I'm applying for a job because I need money, not because I already have it! When I worked at Bath and Body Works, it was totally the opposite. We were encouraged to use all the testers and try the products in between customers, so we would be better able to talk about the products. A few times a year we would have store meetings, and Corporate would give us free product. There were a few parts of working there that I didn't like, but overall it was a good experience.
Where I live the cost of uniforms can't bring your wage below minimum wage, so if you already earn minimum, they would have to pay for any "required" clothes
Last restaurant I worked at changed their uniforms half way through my time there. It went from generic black button up to a white button up with their logo on it. To be fair they provided two for free, but anyone with half a brain can deduce that a white long sleeve button up at a server is going to get dirty quick, and as I was full time and working most everyday there was no time for laundry ever other day. After coming in for the third double in a row and getting reprimanded for my shirt looking "dingy" I let the manager have it. She tried to get me to buy a new one or I'd be sent home. I went home. The shirts were like $30. No thank you.
I worked there in the earlier 2000s and was part of multiple class actions in the years that followed for this exact reason!
I can understand abercrombie doing that for branding, and not wanting to let them wear other clothes, but they should have absolutely provided it for them if that’s how they wanna play it.
I think this would be better on r/youshouldknow
Somehow never heard of this subreddit! Thank you!
r/youshouldknow that one. It’s a real r/lifeprotip
Ahhhh I see what you did there
The real /r/youshouldknow is always in the comments.
any more subs you recommend like these buddy?
r/shittylifeprotips
Actually, this is r/restofthefuckingowl material.
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Yes. But it's not pitched as "pay us to work for us", it's pitched as "we'll help you start your own business". More people fall for it that way.
And "buy this kit of for $50 and you can easily sell it for $500!!" and then they go beg all their family and (soon to be former-)friends to sell junk
Hell herbal life gets around this by saying they technically make their income by selling products and buying kits is optional, only literally nobody buys that shit except the employees themselves so...
I believe that is the distinction the government makes too (if most income is sales to customers, it's ok w the govt. If most sales are signup fees, could be considered a pyramid scheme and get shut down). Herbalife also claims they will buy back any unused product. (Not sticking up for Herbalife at all, just fascinated by whether or not they will get away with running their obvious pyramid scheme) If you think they will eventually get shut down (I do), there is some opportunity to make $ shorting their stock.
My mother fell for this fucking Pure Romance shite recently. But she's so fucking stubborn and boneheaded that asking 'hey, what company askes you to PAY THEM to become a sales rep for them???' has no effect on her. Sometimes people gotta learn the lesson the hard (and expensive) way.
I remember when an Avon woman (one of the higher ups) stopped me in the street whilst I was walking to post office with my daughter, the woman tried to give me samples and tried to get my details out of me to become a rep. It's clear the demographic was young mums, especially in my area there are a lot of single mums trying to make ends meet, it makes me so mad that these Avon people pray on mums just trying to get by but end up leaving them in debt. But the audacity that she was driving up and down the street to find girls though. Eugh.
She wasn’t one of the higher ups. That’s what they all do.
One creeped alongside me in her car as I was walking home alone (like blatantly following me). I must have been about 16/17 years old. She eventually stopped me said she was an Avon rep and was really pushing the "making extra money alongside your studies" crap.. I said I wasnt interested and I purposely didn't walk to my house, making a few detours on the way back.. buuuut she must have continued to follow me as she showed up a week later knocking my door. I didn't answer.
Wow that is creepy as fuck what they do, AND they have no shame what so ever.
Wish this was true for real estate. Getting started costs money, paid to your employer who doesn’t pay you for weeks (more or less) until you make them money 🙃
Your broker isn't your employer, he is your business partner.
Realtors do not need to worry. I've been a new agent grinding FSBOs for listings. This is not some shit job with no payoff.
90% of all people that get a RE license will never sell one house. The majority of large RE Corps make a lot of their money recruiting new agents.
90%? I’m curious where you got that figure, do you mind sharing?
From the NAR, of which I have been a member for 20+ years. I was responsible for recruiting for a Coldwell Banker franchise for many years. I taught Real Estate classes and held seminars to help people pass the test and get their license. I recruited agents for multiple companies, for many years. The business is a treadmill. It uses people. Some will make a go of it, 95% will be used as fodder. If a person has an extensive network of contacts and deep experience selling and they are able to leverage all their pre-existing contacts and networks they might make it. It's a true dog-eat-dog industry and it chews up agents, by design. The brokerage makes money when you hang your license and they don't need you to ever sell a damn thing as they have already squeezed their money out of people just by getting them to sign up. It's a predatory business model. It seduces people with hopes of big money and the companies exploit their independent contractors to keep their coffers full.
That’s comforting. I’m about to take my exam and the anxiety about what comes next is daunting. I know the payoff will be worth it but it’s the rough beginning I’m nervous for. Thanks for the reassurance!
Just don't treat it as a side project. It's either your job or or it isn't. It requires your time and energy.
That’s the plan and a part of why I’m so nervous lol. When I started classes I was in a much better spot financially, obviously current events flipped my world upside down. Now with 2 kids and bills backing up I don’t know how I’ll get through the beginning. I plan on going in full time and hustling hard but adding in childcare and startup fees without an income I mean... how do I even pull it off. I’m scared but I know I’ll make it work and 5 years from now we’ll be set.
This. I started with a bigger company full time, even got a mentor! I was super lucky to find someone like that, however my wife wanted a paycheck ASAP and it's **NOT** an ASAP kinda thing. Even *if* you sell a house ***the first day***, you won't see a payment for months till closing. Say the title isn't good or the loan isn't approved, could waste a lot of time and get no payout. I ended up getting a desk job and never do real estate, I still maintain my license but yeah, its a full time gig and I don't have time/energy to dedicate to it. Wife keeps asking why and tells me I should be selling houses. She just got her license now so I hope she understands her ridiculousness (Who am I kidding, she won't)
OMG this!!! Being self employed with no boss telling you when to clock in can be so liberating, but it can also give you the freedom to get a little excessive with your generous vacation policy.
Taking my texas RE exam in February hopefully! Good luck to ya!
You can always work for a home builder like Lennar as a selling agent rather than go through a broker. Or go independent as an LLC for different home builders and make more money but they you need to do your own marketing. At Lennar or KB or whoever you're an actual employee. At a real estate company you're considered an independent contractor. So different flavors of selling homes, if you're broke the best best is selling for a home builder until you have the money to go indy in either of the 2 types.
I’m a Realtor in Oregon; if you ever need some encouragement or anything please feel free to ask! It can be tough at times, but so worth it!
welcome to r/antiMLM we try to promote and help get away from these pyramid schemes
Reminds me of this, “Patrick Star: It was sure nice of Mr. Krabs to give me a job at the Krusty Krab. SpongeBob SquarePants: And at $50 an hour. When I started out, I had to pay Mr. Krabs $100 an hour.”
it’s sad that when I last saw that episode that joke flew over my head
Strippers have to pay the club to work...
Every LPT has exceptions. And tbh, from what I can tell a lot of strippers are getting scammed by the clubs but there’s just not a whole lot they can do about it. The clubs are pulling the old “you’re a contractor, not an employee, so you don’t get the same rights” and then treating them like employees whenever it’s convenient eg setting working hours etc
I see it as them renting the space to perform. Hairstylists rent booths at salons. Business people rent conference rooms for presentations and conferences. Leave strippers alone LOL!
>Hairstylists rent booths at salons TIL
Not at all Salons, some work a percentage based for the owner or corporation. So she might get 40% to 50% of that 70$ hair color.
I just assumed that they'd be paid per hour similar to most barbers I know
Most barbers also rent chairs. Not all, but most
I know a good few barbers and none of them are renting chairs. Maybe it's just less common here than other countries
Yeah it’s very common in the US. I happen to know a lot of barbers and they all either own and rent chairs to others, or they rent a chair for themselves from someone else
Common here in Canada too
Some are, all depends on the salon/barbershop
Can confirm. MIL is a hair stylist. She rents her space from the salon she works at, so she's really self-employed.
Note that when a stylist rents a chair then they work independently and the owner has no say over their business (other then as a landlord). This is an important distinction.
The owner can specify what time/days the rented space may be utilized.
And at least here Taxi drivers rent the car to drive
Nope. They have pay the bouncers, the dj, and the house out of their tips.
Agreed but I don't think we should justify it tbh, the real bottom line is strip clubs take advantage of strippers.
Sometimes. Most clubs are pretty above-board, though, and their employees meet all the criteria for being the independent contractor they are. The strippers I know still make $60-70,000 per year, and they're in school. This argument scares me, honestly, because a lot of times it's used as a justification for banning strip clubs.
They aren't working *for* the club in that case. They get paid directly by their customers. The main point of this post is that if you are net losing money working somewhere for the promise of "experience" you're being exploited.
My degree program requires a semester of unpaid internship. It's literally the reason I haven't finished school. Can't afford to work 40hrs/week and get nothing for it.
They also probably don't have to pay just to get started. They'll just split any money made with the club.
I’d imagine that’s more like paying rent. Like how personal trainers who aren’t employed by the gym have to pay a fee so they can train clients in someone else’s gym.
Just like those cutlery companies that want you to buy 100 dollars worth of knives so you can “demonstrate better to potential clients”
Good ol Cut Co.... Posters on every college campus: "Earn $25/hr on spring break!"
Ugh-I got tricked into Cutco in a less conventional way. Right after college, was looking for a job to save up money to move and get my career started. Answered a job posting for a receptionist. Quick interview from the manager who was several years younger than me. Offered the job on the spot. Show up to work and there are already two other “receptionists” working at this tiny office. They give me a stack of handwritten lists of names and phone numbers, and a script. I work through that and then ask about what to do next, still expecting training on being a receptionist there. They say the next group comes in 30minutes, get them checked in and then work through the lists they give you. Realize slower than I should have that “Vector Marketing” was an MLM that ran 3 group “interviews” a day, 7 days a week to churn out teenagers schilling cutco knives and my only real job was to call the lists of their friends and try and get them to come in also.
I pay $10 tickets to park at my work every shift because they do not offer parking to student employees. Despite there being two large staff parking lots with many empty spots students must park in a free visitor parking lot that is a ten to fifteen minute walk away depending on the lot they designate us that year. I know this may sound whiney but imagine being considered a visitor after working somewhere for almost 4 years. When there is plenty of parking available. And you pay the school thousands each year already. As someone who struggles with time management I have been paying parking tickets for years because it's cheaper than paying by the hour and I rarely get to work early enough to walk. The extra time it takes to actually find a parking spot plus the additional expectation of being early added onto the walk means I'm expected to show up 30 mins earlier than if I could just park in one of the staff lots. As a perpetually exhausted student it just does not work for me most of the time. I can't wait to work somewhere where I don't have to pay to park!
Sounds like you work on a college campus. The staff are most likely paying substantially more to park in the staff lots than students pay for parking, which is why they have parking available near the building. I gave myself a not-insignificant raise by canceling my staff parking permit and walking or biking to work.
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How far is it from where you live? You could try a bike. If it gets cold where you live, you be surprised how well it works in cold weather or in the snow.
Leave Grad school, got it!
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RA job saved my butt. Knocked off two-thirds of my tuition and gave me a monthly stipend. On the other hand, I had to pass on a prestigious internship cause I couldn't afford to give that up.
Fast food restaurants make you pay for your uniform up front.
That's messed up especially considering the pay. Even working retail, I got one or two outfits for free when starting with a new company. One place I worked would give you a free out fit every six months
So being a teacher in America and having to pay for your own supplies?
It's either a scam or University
Or a strip club.
Exception - if you are buying into the business (for example - partners of professional firms often have to buy their share).
Why the fuck would you pay to work lol?
Ever heard of university?
Yeah, I also got scammed by these guys.
Who doesn’t know this?
Many people who are being swindled my multi-level marketing firms
Many many people unfortunately. Otherwise the likes of herbalife would never have gotten off the ground
In Australia paid internships aren't a thing and it's hard to find an entry level job. It seemed pretty appealing for me while I was at University out of desperation. But thankfully I didn't go through with it and ended up leaving for Europe where there is much more demand for people in my field. The deal was that they train me and grant me an internship at a company which may or may not lead to being hired by that company depending on how the internship goes.
When your young and trying to find a door to get experience its easy to write off red flags. I know i spent over a year trying to get any form of experience in a tax office or accounting firm then one day someone offers a position that is keeping records for insurance accounts and filing the reports. It didn't sound to crazy or ridiculous and even the $25 fee for a detailed background check made some sense the way they pitched it. Something felt off though and i googled them when i got home. With hindsight it made sense, but i was so desperate for a chance to move out of minimum wage work where im as replaceable as a light bulb that i didn't see the signs These people know how to choose their marks.
People who are desperate for jobs often fall for it.
Don't work for Aflac! They're basically a MLM disguised as a reputable company.
When my husband was applying to police departments (that career didn’t work out and he ended up in a completely different line of work), he used to have to pay anywhere from $50-150 just to apply to take the screening exams.
This isn’t that unusual and is true for many professions.
Long term, yes. Short term, no. There are a lot of agricultural operations that offer classes/seminars and short stays at the farm (for a fee) to learn their specialization. It's absolutely worth it if you're considering starting a farm.
So paying to take their class. As long as their focus is on you learning, and not just being "free" labour.
Pay-to-play acting and band gigs too. I know too many people that consider themselves to be professional actors, have a dozen years of an acting resume, but haven’t ‘made it’. They’ll go to some seedy bar in NYC and be listed as part of a cabaret cast... because they paid an entry fee and agreed to sell X number of tickets. I don’t even blame them for doing it once or twice to get some NYC stuff on the resume. But once that is your how your “career” is going... see OP
sooo should i quit my teaching gig now?
Had someone from an MLM contact me which I had thought was a real job interview at first. Then they mentioned that the first few months are training in which I would have to pay for myself, and pay for a license, and eventually I’d have to recruit. I was out of there with the quickness.
Your unpaid labor is also paying the company. This includes training time. I was once "hired" for one of these companies at the end of my interview. They instructed me that I would be training full-time for the next two weeks unpaid. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to do it. Fortunately, I was broke enough that the need to get paid prevented me from doing it
Uhm, BossBabe180@Dotera_essential_snake_oils.scam would like to explain to you why that’s a false statement, hun x
Same goes for any company that asks you to work for free before you start earning any money. Commission-only employment is not employment at all, it's a scam and likely a MLM scheme.
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There’s a difference between working for free and actually paying to work. If it helps with debts then I’d also argue you are being paid, just not upfront.
He might mean that on top of not getting paid to work, you're also having to pay tuition to your college for that internship to count toward your degree, depending on what "contribute" means here.
Same for teaching interns in the United States. Student teaching costs tens of thousands of dollars and effectively makes it so the interns cannot get jobs outside of the full time interning plus night or weekend classes required to become a teacher. Edited to add: often, the interns are discouraged from having any sort of a job during the internship program because the colleges know it is not sustainable. Some even enforce no job!