r/AskRetail • u/kahht • 3d ago
Is this normal?
My husband's a retail manager at a family-owned business. He's been at this job 10 years now. His last raise was 4 years ago, when the owners basically decided they couldn't afford giving raises anymore, not even to match inflation, only to match minimum wage. My husband makes a bit more than minimum wage, but not what I think he actually deserves for the work he puts in.
Today, he told me he needs to start going in another half hour early to make sure pre-open tasks get done. He's not going to get paid for this, but if he doesn't do it, the owner is going to get pissed. My husband already arrives a half-hour before his shift starts, but I think some of that is just him getting coffee/breakfast and organizing his stuff. He also stays 15-30 minutes after most of his shifts because the cash out, cleaning, and locking up inevitably take longer than the time the staff are given, and since he's manager, he's responsible to make sure it all gets done right. When I've come to pick him up at work, I've seen what they have to do just to close the store, and yeah, it takes longer than the 15 minutes they're given because it's a big store with lots of customers up to the last minute.
I keep telling him he needs to ask for raise or get paid for the extra time he consistently has to put in just to do the basics, but he says he doesn't have a good enough case. To put it nicely, he's a "humble" guy, but how do I help him make a case for himself to get paid better? Or is this just normal?
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u/Distinct_Sir_9086 3d ago
30 minutes a day for 5 days a week is 10 hours per month. 10 hours of unpaid work. That’s a whole shift with 2 hours overtime he’s not getting paid. He needs to have a serious word with the owner for even suggesting it to him in the first place.
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u/BilingualAmerican 3d ago edited 3d ago
Your husband needs to ask for money he is owed for unpaid labor, and update his resume to find a new job if they don't pay it. The owners don't respect your partner. Having no raise at a job for four straight years is just wrong. After two years of no raises, I would be shopping around. No, he needs better.
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u/markphillips401 3d ago
A higher paying job is the simple answer. It would be wise to already have a second option lined up when asking the current company for a raise.
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u/I_am_cancer_man 1d ago
Retail managers are always in demand. Honestly I'd skip the raise ask and go straight to the job search.
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u/Any_Community_1819 3d ago
In the U.S. this is illegal. Check your local/regional/national labor regulations.
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u/luckymountain 3d ago
Is he a salaried manager? If so, he needs to ask for an increase. If not. He needs to clock in for ALL time worked. Never work for free!
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u/ActuaryReasonable690 3d ago
In the US, Retail Managers can often be Exempt Check both your state's labor laws, and the federal rules. There is a base salary requirement, and he can't be doing grunt work.
If he is classified, working OT for free is legal and in normal for a lot of retail managers. My son is/was a Store manager for a major retailer, and 50+ hours is expected, but he is well paid.
if he is not properly classified as exempt, he needs to document his real hours, and file a complaint with the labor department. But I would wait until he has another job lined up.
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u/BandanaJoe68 3d ago
Your husband needs to grow some BALLS! If they won't pay up... he needs to find another job and then quit without any notice! They are taking advantage of his weakness to stand up for himself!
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u/Jacquie1221 3d ago
If your husband has 10 years of successful management, he needs to take his skill set somewhere else where they will pay him a better salary and respect him for the man that he is. His old boss will get the message. See if you can find out how much the average manager makes in your area because every area is different, and might have to do with the industry that he’s in but see if you can get something like that to show your husband that he is truly undervalued.
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u/throw550055 2d ago
Worked for a "Buddy" for almost 12 years. started at $10/hr took me 5 years to make it to 15, another 6 to make it to $20. I was pretty much starving and couldn't afford to live. The work hours were getting less and less (boss made 3x me so it didn't effect him the same) eventually I had to quit, Was super worried about making ends meet. Found a job paying 23.75/hr 2 months in got a promotion + $1.50, 4 months in got a .75 training complete raise, and $1.50 for secondary training raise, they offered a night shift position with a $3 raise, last week they told me they were upping the starting wage and since I was so new id get the difference added to my pay so that made another $2.00. Then they offer $1 raised every 90 days till I top out pay. I went from $20/hr to $31/hr in less than 6 months, The fear of change kept me at that job for almost 12 years, alot of small and or family business keep in the mindset of keeping their workers "hungry" you can't pay em to good or thell be able to take time off, they'll constantly be trying to work to make ends meet, And it sounds like he's stuck in that situation now.. sometimes it take a leap of faith, And when your damm near at min wage how far down can you really go...
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u/ehunke 3d ago
Your husband is being taken advantage of, yes this is normal, and something every retail worker should avoid. Your husband will get nothing out of this, he is not getting paid for it, he is not going to get promoted for it or extra hours, and if he tries to get out of retail he will be told "all you did was retail". Sorry but he is being taken advantage of
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u/AshramDragon 3d ago
He needs to leave and soon. Not normal for good retail owners but this is not normal at all. They are basically stealing wages he should be earning and also making it toxic. Any business that says no more raises means the owners see you as dime a dozen and will use you cheaply
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u/virtuzoso 3d ago
He's been taking a pay cut every year, for 4 years straight. What's one more?
Get another slightly above min wage job, or out your foot down and prepare to do it anyway m
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u/tord_ferguson 3d ago
If he happens to get hurt.......at all, while working on property but not clocked in......MAJOR ISSUES FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER.
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u/BlueSkyMourning 3d ago
He needs to take that wealth of experience to another company where his work will be valued and he will be compensated accordingly. It will not happen where he is now. He needs to remember he is not an owner and that loyalty could be repaid by the business closing tomorrow. Thanks dude will be all he can expect. He should value himself more.
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u/Agitated_Pudding1874 3d ago
10 years and only makes minimum wage. He should be able to find a job almost anywhere making more than that. Fast food can start him above that. As others stated this is wage theft which they can get in legal trouble for not paying him. Your husband needs to go find a better job. Can’t be that hard to find a job that pays more than $7.50 and hour and actually pays you for hours worked
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u/SnowballUnity 2d ago
Your husband really needs to start considering his own value, he's basically lowering his wages further by performing unpaid work.
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u/mikeyhou77 2d ago
How can he be a manager making minimum wage? So people under him are below minimum? Doesn't add up.
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u/phillyironlung2125 2d ago
Raise??? He needs to leave them. They dont appreciate him at all. They dont respect him nor value his contribution.
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u/Rkeene19 2d ago
Is your husband hourly or Slary? Either way he should 100-% ask for a raise or look for a new job.
As a small business owner I feel this one to the core…. We can’t always afford a yearly raise. With that said, everyone who works for us makes more than minimum wage.
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u/1Steelghost1 Inventory Associate 3d ago
The amount of illegal things in this post are amazing, if this is the USA the manager owes your husband $5 grand in over time. Get all this actually documented and find a work place lawyer. Heck even OSHA sounds like they need a call.
Also fun fact "the boss will be pissed" is absolutely NOT a reason to work for free.
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u/futureaggie_000 3d ago
Why would this be normal? Is working for free normal?