Stuck and out of luck. New innkeeping job making $16 a day. Live-in position. Help!!!!

Hello! I am 19 years old and just accepted a position at a local bed and breakfast inn. It is a live-in position. There are 10 rooms. I work with one other woman. She is in her late 30's. She has been working here for two months. Before I started working here, she was making around $450 each half-month pay period, which is approximately $30 a day. She has children of her own and the managers would never give her any time off to see them. When I got hired, they decided that each of us would have 2 days off during the middle of the week. Her paycheck got cut in half, and my paycheck for a half month was the same as well, $230. We are being paid on salary, but aren't the minimum wage laws still in place when it comes to pay by piece, commission, etc.? We are not allowed to leave the hotel at all during our five days of work, except to get cigarettes maybe. Our managers are never here. They live 3 hours away and own 3 other businesses and 2 houses. They are filthy rich and they can not afford to pay us more than 68 cents for each hour we are here. I feel like a slave!! I can't have a life and my paycheck is barely enough to survive on. I talked to a guy on some employee hotline and he told me to look up california wage order 5. It states that employers can't take out more than $37 a week for rent and must exclude any days when the lodging is not being used by the employee. Is it at all legal for them to pay us so little to sit around at the hotel and waste our lives away?? Is it legal for them to cut her paycheck in half because a of new employee? What do I do? Talk to them about my pay and show them all the legal codes? Or just call the labor board? Help me!!! Advice is greatly appreciated. Im in distress!!

First of all, it is entirely irrelevant that they are rich or poor of that they live three hours away. What matters is the law in the place where you are located. And in the US that differs from state to state. Some states don't even have minimum wage laws unless you have over a certain number of employees. And some states don't have a standard on what you can be charged for room and board. Also the hours in which you are not specifically on duty aren't considered paid time.
Did you consider that maybe this just isn't the job for you?

You will have to check your own state regs. Why didn't you negiotate your contract before you signed on. You are an adult, if it isn't satisfactory, then quit. What experience do you have for running a B & B? Sorry to say, I would not want a 19 year old running my B & B. You need experience to do this. Looks like they are just looking for cheap labor.

I love what I am doing but the pay is not worth it, fair, or legal. Where I live, it is very hard to find jobs. So I can't just quit...

Eric Arthur Blair said:

First of all, it is entirely irrelevant that they are rich or poor of that they live three hours away. What matters is the law in the place where you are located. And in the US that differs from state to state. Some states don't even have minimum wage laws unless you have over a certain number of employees. And some states don't have a standard on what you can be charged for room and board. Also the hours in which you are not specifically on duty aren't considered paid time.
Did you consider that maybe this just isn't the job for you?.

Click to expand...

I like my job duties but the pay is not worth it. I looked up all the laws already. They are required to pay at least minimum wage. Yeah, it's true I am not working all the time but I am still only making $16 a day....

Eric Arthur Blair said:

First of all, it is entirely irrelevant that they are rich or poor of that they live three hours away. What matters is the law in the place where you are located. And in the US that differs from state to state. Some states don't even have minimum wage laws unless you have over a certain number of employees. And some states don't have a standard on what you can be charged for room and board. Also the hours in which you are not specifically on duty aren't considered paid time.
Did you consider that maybe this just isn't the job for you?.

Click to expand...

I am not the only innkeeper these managers have hired who have been robbed of their lives and skimped out on paychecks.... $500 a month to spend 22 days out of the 30 to manage everything. I have written down certain sections from california wage order 5 which pertains to innkeeping jobs that my managers aren't complying with.... Where do I go from here? What do most innkeepers make?

You also have a place to stay, that counts for something.

Ashtreemeadow said:

Eric Arthur Blair said:

First of all, it is entirely irrelevant that they are rich or poor of that they live three hours away. What matters is the law in the place where you are located. And in the US that differs from state to state. Some states don't even have minimum wage laws unless you have over a certain number of employees. And some states don't have a standard on what you can be charged for room and board. Also the hours in which you are not specifically on duty aren't considered paid time.
Did you consider that maybe this just isn't the job for you?.

Click to expand...

I am not the only innkeeper these managers have hired who have been robbed of their lives and skimped out on paychecks.... $500 a month to spend 22 days out of the 30 to manage everything. I have written down certain sections from california wage order 5 which pertains to innkeeping jobs that my managers aren't complying with.... Where do I go from here? What do most innkeepers make?
.

Click to expand...

You don't want to know how little we make....
Go to your state government. It's their job.

Instead of whining - sorry to be blunt but it is the truth - use what GOD gave you. If you do not like the job or the conditions, stand up on the legs GOD gave you and walk out. You are not in chains, you are not "stuck" unless you choose to be stuck. So far, all I have seen is whining and reasons why you cannot change the situation. Does not work with me. I guess I am a hard-nose. Any time i did not like a job, I found another one. And jobs were only easy to find for people who wanted to work and were willing to look for it. All of us here worked some crap jobs along the way to finding what we wanted. He-he-he, come to think of it pay-wise, some of us are back where we started. Kid, I do not even draw a paycheck and I work my butt off (wish the butt knew that and would get OFF!) and my "paycheck" is a tax bill, higher taxes than if I was a residence, higher insurance, rules and regulations to follow, live in the house I love, live in the City I love even more, and an opportunity to meet people who have enriched my life more than I can say. (I started working when I was 16 and have not stopped - and not planning to. No pay increase in sight either.)

Ashtreemeadow said:

Eric Arthur Blair said:

First of all, it is entirely irrelevant that they are rich or poor of that they live three hours away. What matters is the law in the place where you are located. And in the US that differs from state to state. Some states don't even have minimum wage laws unless you have over a certain number of employees. And some states don't have a standard on what you can be charged for room and board. Also the hours in which you are not specifically on duty aren't considered paid time.
Did you consider that maybe this just isn't the job for you?.

Click to expand...

I like my job duties but the pay is not worth it. I looked up all the laws already. They are required to pay at least minimum wage. Yeah, it's true I am not working all the time but I am still only making $16 a day....
.

Click to expand...

Ashtreemeadow said:

I like my job duties but the pay is not worth it. I looked up all the laws already. They are required to pay at least minimum wage. Yeah, it's true I am not working all the time but I am still only making $16 a day....

Click to expand...

Do you have to pay for electric, water, trash, tv, Internet, phone, food, property tax,laundry? I can keep going but I think you get the idea! Your makIng a lot more than you think. At the end of the day you have $16 in the bank after all your expenses paid, your doing better than a lot of people! I know your young and maybe you only see what your paycheck says. But you need to look farther than your paycheck to see what you are really receiving for the job you have.

Ashtreemeadow said:

Eric Arthur Blair said:

First of all, it is entirely irrelevant that they are rich or poor of that they live three hours away. What matters is the law in the place where you are located. And in the US that differs from state to state. Some states don't even have minimum wage laws unless you have over a certain number of employees. And some states don't have a standard on what you can be charged for room and board. Also the hours in which you are not specifically on duty aren't considered paid time.
Did you consider that maybe this just isn't the job for you?.

Click to expand...

I am not the only innkeeper these managers have hired who have been robbed of their lives and skimped out on paychecks.... $500 a month to spend 22 days out of the 30 to manage everything. I have written down certain sections from california wage order 5 which pertains to innkeeping jobs that my managers aren't complying with.... Where do I go from here? What do most innkeepers make?
.

Click to expand...

Most innkeeper/owners do not collect a salary. We live free of charge and have our monthly expenses paid for.
However, that's not the point. I own the business. If you like what you are doing and you want to stay but you feel you are not being compensated for the work you do, you can find a legal aid lawyer to talk to to see if what you are experiencing is illegal.
Your employers really shouldn't be charging you to stay there if you're only being paid a couple of hundred dollars a month.
When you took the job, what were the benefits? Are you getting those bennies? Did you not understand the job was 24/7? Go back over the ad you answered to see where you might have been misled.
Now, if you don't want to get involved in a legal dispute, why not come up with a profit-sharing plan? Obviously, unless this is the only place to stay in hundreds of miles, the owners don't have a lock on all the biz in town. So, what can you do to bring in more guests and how can the owners reward you with additional pay? Depending on what the going rate per night is, you could try to get 10% of that on top of your flat wage.
Would that make it worth it to stay?
What are your duties as far as the job goes? Do you cook, clean, take reservations, etc? Are there other employees besides the woman you mentioned?

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.
You're 19, get some experience with this job and then find another one if you want. Stop thinking about how much you make per hour because the value of what you have is far greater than your hourly wage.
If you don't like the conditions, why in the heck did you take the job?? Sounds better than working at minimum wage and having to pay rent and and all your utilities.

Madeleine said:

Ashtreemeadow said:

Eric Arthur Blair said:

First of all, it is entirely irrelevant that they are rich or poor of that they live three hours away. What matters is the law in the place where you are located. And in the US that differs from state to state. Some states don't even have minimum wage laws unless you have over a certain number of employees. And some states don't have a standard on what you can be charged for room and board. Also the hours in which you are not specifically on duty aren't considered paid time.
Did you consider that maybe this just isn't the job for you?.

Click to expand...

I am not the only innkeeper these managers have hired who have been robbed of their lives and skimped out on paychecks.... $500 a month to spend 22 days out of the 30 to manage everything. I have written down certain sections from california wage order 5 which pertains to innkeeping jobs that my managers aren't complying with.... Where do I go from here? What do most innkeepers make?
.

Click to expand...

Most innkeeper/owners do not collect a salary. We live free of charge and have our monthly expenses paid for.
However, that's not the point. I own the business. If you like what you are doing and you want to stay but you feel you are not being compensated for the work you do, you can find a legal aid lawyer to talk to to see if what you are experiencing is illegal.
Your employers really shouldn't be charging you to stay there if you're only being paid a couple of hundred dollars a month.
When you took the job, what were the benefits? Are you getting those bennies? Did you not understand the job was 24/7? Go back over the ad you answered to see where you might have been misled.
Now, if you don't want to get involved in a legal dispute, why not come up with a profit-sharing plan? Obviously, unless this is the only place to stay in hundreds of miles, the owners don't have a lock on all the biz in town. So, what can you do to bring in more guests and how can the owners reward you with additional pay? Depending on what the going rate per night is, you could try to get 10% of that on top of your flat wage.
Would that make it worth it to stay?
What are your duties as far as the job goes? Do you cook, clean, take reservations, etc? Are there other employees besides the woman you mentioned?
.

Click to expand...

I think Madeleine has the right idea. You've started this job which you love. If you can show the owners why you help the inn become more profitable, they may be willing to pay you more eventually. If they don't, you'll still have a better resume if you stick it out for several months and can explain to potential future employers what you were able to accomplish while employed there.
Many of us who own and work at our B&B's have less profit after all the bills are paid than you might imagine, and if I tried to calculate my "salary" on an hourly basis I'm sure it would not come close to minimum wage.

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.
You're 19, get some experience with this job and then find another one if you want. Stop thinking about how much you make per hour because the value of what you have is far greater than your hourly wage.
If you don't like the conditions, why in the heck did you take the job?? Sounds better than working at minimum wage and having to pay rent and and all your utilities..

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.
You're 19, get some experience with this job and then find another one if you want. Stop thinking about how much you make per hour because the value of what you have is far greater than your hourly wage.
If you don't like the conditions, why in the heck did you take the job?? Sounds better than working at minimum wage and having to pay rent and and all your utilities..

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.
.

Click to expand...

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.
You're 19, get some experience with this job and then find another one if you want. Stop thinking about how much you make per hour because the value of what you have is far greater than your hourly wage.
If you don't like the conditions, why in the heck did you take the job?? Sounds better than working at minimum wage and having to pay rent and and all your utilities..

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.
.

Click to expand...

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?
.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?

Click to expand...

Yes, $24k and I might ask where the job is! ;-)
But I think there was also mention that she is paying to live there. So, extremely low wages (my housekeeper makes more than that in 2 weeks' time) AND paying for her room. If I read it right.

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.
You're 19, get some experience with this job and then find another one if you want. Stop thinking about how much you make per hour because the value of what you have is far greater than your hourly wage.
If you don't like the conditions, why in the heck did you take the job?? Sounds better than working at minimum wage and having to pay rent and and all your utilities..

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.
.

Click to expand...

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?
.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?

Click to expand...

Yes, $24k and I might ask where the job is! ;-)
But I think there was also mention that she is paying to live there. So, extremely low wages (my housekeeper makes more than that in 2 weeks' time) AND paying for her room. If I read it right.
.

Click to expand...

I don't see anywhere she states she has to pay for room.
So, ok, it's a crappy underpaid job. If she can't change the conditions with the owners and you (Maddie) suggested, then she should get out of there.

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.
You're 19, get some experience with this job and then find another one if you want. Stop thinking about how much you make per hour because the value of what you have is far greater than your hourly wage.
If you don't like the conditions, why in the heck did you take the job?? Sounds better than working at minimum wage and having to pay rent and and all your utilities..

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.
.

Click to expand...

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?
.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?

Click to expand...

Yes, $24k and I might ask where the job is! ;-)
But I think there was also mention that she is paying to live there. So, extremely low wages (my housekeeper makes more than that in 2 weeks' time) AND paying for her room. If I read it right.
.

Click to expand...

I don't see anywhere she states she has to pay for room.
So, ok, it's a crappy underpaid job. If she can't change the conditions with the owners and you (Maddie) suggested, then she should get out of there.
.

Click to expand...

It states that employers can't take out more than $37 a week for rent and must exclude any days when the lodging is not being used by the employee.
I understood this to mean she was paying to live there.

is food included?

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.
You're 19, get some experience with this job and then find another one if you want. Stop thinking about how much you make per hour because the value of what you have is far greater than your hourly wage.
If you don't like the conditions, why in the heck did you take the job?? Sounds better than working at minimum wage and having to pay rent and and all your utilities..

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.
.

Click to expand...

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?
.

Click to expand...

Breakfast Diva said:

Madeleine said:

Breakfast Diva said:

So let me get this straight. You're making $24,000 a year, your housing and all utilities are paid for and you get 2 days off a week? Heck, there's a lot of innkeepers who would love to make that.

Click to expand...

I think it's more like $5400/year. $450/month.

Click to expand...

Oops! Can you tell math is not my strong suit?

Click to expand...

Yes, $24k and I might ask where the job is! ;-)
But I think there was also mention that she is paying to live there. So, extremely low wages (my housekeeper makes more than that in 2 weeks' time) AND paying for her room. If I read it right.
.

Click to expand...

I don't see anywhere she states she has to pay for room.
So, ok, it's a crappy underpaid job. If she can't change the conditions with the owners and you (Maddie) suggested, then she should get out of there.
.

Click to expand...

It states that employers can't take out more than $37 a week for rent and must exclude any days when the lodging is not being used by the employee.
I understood this to mean she was paying to live there.
.

Click to expand...

There is no way I would PAY to stay somewhere and work! Rework the contract or get out!