Jobs that don't allow you to support yourself

disenchant · #1 02-28-2008, 02:47 PM

I have a friend who is in the Wedding Video business at a very well-known company. At that company, they are not allowed to take outside work as it is considered "competition." However, they pay a measly $14 an hour as a full-time editor. Of course the company is charging thousands for the finished product! So many of the editors take side jobs and hide it from the boss.

Another friend is a personal trainer for a very prominent fitness organization. They charge $60 per hour for each session, but the trainer gets $18 an hour to train the person. They also don't get paid for hours that they are not training a person. They are also not allowed to take outside work. However, many do because it's hard to live on $18 an hour, especially if you only get paid for the hours you have a client and it's up to YOU to get your own clients.

What is your feeling on companies that pay a measly wage AND don't allow their employees to take any outside work? Do they deserve to have their employees take side jobs? Should they be allowed to tell employees they can't make money outside of their company? Do employees who are making enough money working NOT need to work outside the company?

What's your opinion?

RandomEvent · #2 02-28-2008, 02:54 PM

My opinion is that I think these companies are full of it to not allow second jobs. Both of the jobs you mentioned are pretty specialized and focused on one singular subject, so I could understand not allowing an employee to work somewhere that is in direct competition or in any way related to that current job and it's duties. For example, I work at Bank of America, and I wouldn't expect them to be OK with me getting a second job at Wachovia.

In short I think so long these mentioned companies shouldn't be worried about their employees lives outside of work hours. If they want to get a second job that isn't in the same field that they are now, then let them go for it. But obviously these companies won't allow that, so I don't blame these friends of yours for getting second jobs and hiding them. More power to them, I say.

I do however wonder about the benefits of working at these companies. Such as insurance, 401K, retirement, stock opportunities, etc. If they have really awesome benefits, I think that might account for the lower wages. That I could understand somewhat. But I still think once they are off the clock, it ain't their business what their employees are doing so long as they aren't working for a direct competitor.

SpankyPants · #3 02-28-2008, 02:57 PM

I say that you should be able to work where you want. No one does work because it's fun; that's why it's called work. If you need to take more jobs to support yourself, then you should be able to do so.

iamlowsound · #4 02-28-2008, 02:58 PM

I make $11.50 an hour, but I am aloud to take outside work, which I do.

lowsound

SnoMan · #5 02-28-2008, 02:59 PM

I agree with random event.

However, I wouldn't accept a job that I couldn't live off of if I could help it. If I was in a position where I had to accept the job, I would amend my lifestyle to accomodate my income.

skaliwag66 · #6 02-28-2008, 03:01 PM

$14 and $18 an hour measly?

Am I missing something?

iamlowsound · #7 02-28-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoMan

I agree with random event.

However, I wouldn't accept a job that I couldn't live off of if I could help it. If I was in a position where I had to accept the job, I would amend my lifestyle to accomodate my income.

Exactly, I live quite nicely off of what I make. I have a car, nice place to live (pay rent to my parents), I have nice gear and I still have money left over.

lowsound

RandomEvent · #8 02-28-2008, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoMan

I agree with random event.

However, I wouldn't accept a job that I couldn't live off of if I could help it. If I was in a position where I had to accept the job, I would amend my lifestyle to accomodate my income.

Yeah, I think that a bit too. It seems like very specialized fields have too many things to worry about to make huge amounts of money. The examples disenchant listed, I would imagine demand for work in those fields heavily fluctuates depending on tons of factors. So maybe to keep these types of jobs open year round, they have to cut wages a bit to stay open. There are probably times of the year that more people just want to get a personal trainer or get married, and then there are probably times where business is just plain slow. I can see a company saying to themselves, "We just might need to cut wages a bit to keep the business open. Those funds could be used for general upkeep, advertisement, etc." Of course, the big wigs could just be keeping all the money...

That's just what I think, but I'm only 23 so I'm probably way off. Not enough world EXP yet, haha.

EDIT: I should also mention that I feel that people getting into specialized fields of work should do tons of research beforehand, first being wages and benefits. And if you don't think you can live your current lifestyle with that job, you'll just have to either change the way you live or do something else. I know tons of people my age who have BMW's, nice apartments or condos, expensive home furnishings, latest technology, etc. And they are SUPER IN DEBT! And they complain about it a lot! Well, if you don't want to be in debt, then change the way you live! I mean, my Ford Focus gets me around town just as well as your BMW Z series. And I'm not in huge debt.

RandomEvent · #9 02-28-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Exactly, I live quite nicely off of what I make. I have a car, nice place to live (pay rent to my parents), I have nice gear and I still have money left over.

lowsound

lowsound, that's pretty much the situation I'm in. I just live at home with my mother. She's a bit sickly, and she doesn't want me to leave so she charges no rent. But I don't mind. Since it's just the two of us, the house is always quiet and peaceful. I'm not clamoring to get my own place and fall into copious amounts of debt just yet. When I finish college, that'll be a different story.

Mr. Black · #10 02-28-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skaliwag66

$14 and $18 an hour measly?

Am I missing something?

I know, maybe I missed something too......

......

I used to be able to support myself and live off of $6.50/hr.....

When my son was born & my wife took off work, I supported me, her, & my son on $12/hr....

It can be done..... I make little more than what you're speaking now hourly & do very well......

If I ever got caught catching outside work woth competition I'd be run off for sure.....

Learn some money management........ It works.

Ericman197 · #11 02-28-2008, 03:17 PM

Mostly it is a case of supply and demand, which there isn't much you can do about. Video editing is only a notch above pumping gas; sure it takes skill etc. but it's something that any high school student can be trained to do fairly well. I was pretty good at video editing in high school and I would've done it for $14/hour. The fact that people are willing to pay loads of money for this service is just a fact of life. Millions of people around the world will pay $100+ for a cable that is no better than one costing $20, even though both cost about $1 to manufacture.

As for physical training, $18/hour sounds about right if the customer is paying $60. Maybe you could make the argument that the trainer deserves $20, $25 or even $30 but it costs money to use the gym facilities. Most of the cost probably comes from renting the space, equipment, heating etc. and for someone to front that much money to run a gym, profit is expected.

The trainer friend would run into the same problem if she decided to open her own place. She'd make $60/hour straight up, but then a good half of that (maybe even more) is going to be lost due to fees, taxes, bills etc. Getting $18/hour isn't the best deal but it really isn't realistic to make a 'fair wage' like $40/hour for this kind of service.

Vince S. · #12 02-28-2008, 03:41 PM

A lot of public safety jobs (police, fire, EMS) do not allow their employees to get second jobs, which is not all too bad for police and fire in most areas, but EMS is a career which has yet to be professionalized and unionized on a national scale and therefore wages in many places are still very low. Many times though, it is the unions that forbid the workers from seeking second jobs, due to liability from injury, etc. In my desire to become a paramedic, I know full well I will have to get at least a second or third part time job to make ends meet. Therefore, I won't work for an employer who demands that I can't get a second gig.

RandomEvent · #13 02-28-2008, 03:44 PM

I know this has nothing to do with the topic, but I LOL'd when I read your signature, Vince S.

disenchant · #14 02-28-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skaliwag66

$14 and $18 an hour measly?

Am I missing something?

$18/hr is measly if you don't work all 40 hours a week. At 40 hours a week that's roughly 37k a year. Not bad. You could do OK making that.

$14/hr if you get 40 hours in is 29k a year. That's not enough to live on if you live out here.

But in neither job is anyone getting 40 hours in.

The companies are not allowing people to get other jobs in their field. Which from a company perspective IS competition. However, in both cases these people trained to do these jobs, this IS their job skill. It's impossible to get full-time work in either one of those fields, and yet you can't get two jobs in the same field--even if that is your skill and all you can do.

You can survive as a freelance video editor if you get work from all over, but it takes more than one company to make enough to live on.

MakiSupaStar · #15 02-28-2008, 03:54 PM

My opinion is that if they want the luxury of an exclusive employee then they should take care of that employee. They should provide health care, benefits, and a wage that compensates for the exclusivity. That wage seems pretty paltry for exclusive video editing. It might be a different story if they trained her, but if she trained herself on her own dime, then they need to pay for exclusivity.

RandomEvent · #16 02-28-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disenchant

$18/hr is measly if you don't work all 40 hours a week. At 40 hours a week that's roughly 37k a year. Not bad. You could do OK making that.

$14/hr if you get 40 hours in is 29k a year. That's not enough to live on if you live out here.

But in neither job is anyone getting 40 hours in.

The companies are not allowing people to get other jobs in their field. Which from a company perspective IS competition. However, in both cases these people trained to do these jobs, this IS their job skill. It's impossible to get full-time work in either one of those fields, and yet you can't get two jobs in the same field--even if that is your skill and all you can do.

You can survive as a freelance video editor if you get work from all over, but it takes more than one company to make enough to live on.

Wait I thought you meant they couldn't get another job period? Maybe I misunderstood the first post. So, which is it? Are they allowed to get another job in any field other than their own? Or are they just not allowed to get another job at all?

I assume by "their fields," you mean they can't get any other jobs in their fields. If so, why don't they just get a job that's totally unrelated to their current work? I know you said that they can't get one full time job, let alone two in their fields. But why don't they... get a second job in a totally unrelated field? You also said that their fields is all they can do, but I don't see what's the problem with them getting a second job somewhere else, like a retail store or a restaurant. I'm not trying to be callous or anything, but I'm pretty sure humans are born able to work more than one skill in their entire lives. Just because they've only been trained to professionally edit videos or only studied personal training regimens doesn't mean they can't count change at a register or flip burgers. It shouldn't be hard for them to get a second job at their local Best Buy or CitiBank, for example.

If the opportunity for them to get another job in an unrelated field is there, but they choose not to because they want to get their second job in their current field of work, then that's pretty much 100% their own fault, not the company. Like I said earlier, no way in hell would I think my employer, Bank of America, would be cool with me working at CitiBank or Wachovia. I get that. But I could get a job at the UPS store down the street since I have extra time. Your friends should be able to do the same, if I'm understanding your previous post right.

And if I just totally misunderstood, I'm sorry.

spade2you · #17 02-28-2008, 04:12 PM

I don't get how they can restrict someone from not working elsewhere as long as it doesn't get in the way of that job. I get paid fairly well and I can work on the side as much as I want, provided it doesn't get in the way of my main job.

FL Knifemaker · #18 02-28-2008, 04:14 PM

I only pay myself $10 per hour, that's why I work 24/7

Bob Lee (QSC) · #19 02-28-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

My opinion is that if they want the luxury of an exclusive employee then they should take care of that employee. They should provide health care, benefits, and a wage that compensates for the exclusivity. That wage seems pretty paltry for exclusive video editing. It might be a different story if they trained her, but if she trained herself on her own dime, then they need to pay for exclusivity.

+1

If an employer paid me hourly, limited my hours to much less than full time, and forbid me to do other work, I would either make them see the error of their ways or leave and do the other work instead.

Bard2dbone · #20 02-28-2008, 04:37 PM

I've been a paramedic for a long time, and our pay level is pathetic. I can't work on the ambulance anymore because I can't afford to. When I quit working the street I was recieiving every skills bonus that the company would recognize and therefore was one of the higher paid medics at my service...at $12.54 an hour. That's about 26K a year if all you work is full time. I have a wife and kids and a house amd two cars to support. We can just about get by on triple that.

Full time on what I made on the ambulance would just about make my house payment if I didn't have to eat, drive, or buy anything else at all.

Lots of EMS services will say that we are not supposed to have any outside jobs, but it's rare to meet a medic who only has one job. I only have one job now because I work at a childrens hoospital anddo a buttload of overtime.

I miss working the street, but I just couldn't afford it. People who don't work EMS usually think I'm kidding whwen I say a lot of medics leave EMS to work fast food for the big money. I'm not.