Underpaid at camp | Imamother

amother

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 1:40 am

amother [ Jade ] wrote:

Sure you did. You asked about whether or not you should contact the camp. Do what you want. You obviously are just looking to argue.

Take a look at the opening post. I asked what I'm supposed to do in this situation? And clarified, what my message to much child should be? Because was not happy with my initial reaction of being angry.
All the best

amother

Tangerine

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 1:52 am

amother [ Jetblack ] wrote:

When I was in high school I worked for a local day camp. There was a married counselor in the bunk who was called the morah, then I was the counselor and then there was an 8th grader who was the JC.
When they told me the salary they said it's X amount (I actually don't even remember what it was!) PLUS tips.

On the first day of camp, we found out that our bunk got 2 JC's. They were a little vague about why - they either hired an extra JC by accident or it may have been because we had a kid with some special needs in the bunk.

At the end of camp, the director informed us that it's too much money to ask parents to tip 4 people so for my bunk only (because we had an extra JC), they are splitting the bunk into 3 and each third of the bunk will tip the morah plus either me OR one JC.

I was livid because I literally just lost 2/3 of my pay, plus I had worked super hard that summer and did as much as the morah while the 2 JC's were really just little kids who hardly helped. I stormed into the director's office and told her that I wanted a raise in salary in the amount I was losing in tips and she refused! She claimed that it wasn't up to her, it was an executive decision and I would have to call the Rabbi in charge of the board.

I was too shy to do that and never got the money.

I think this is different than OP because it's a case of bait and switch.

unexpected

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 2:08 am

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

I'm so sorry OP, I wish the camp had been upfront about the salary or at least given a range, what they did left too much room for expectations and disappointment. I felt your post because this happened to me at 16, I agreed to be a mother's helper for a large family and was told I'd be paid at the end of the summer. It was really long hours but every time I'd tell myself to smile and bear it because I'd be compensated at the end of the summer. Well, I got $50 and a gift worth $75 and twenty years later it still stings.

Oish

snooper86

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 3:01 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Yes, $3000 with youth corp. The other 3 friends working same job with her this year weren't paid yet. While others were applying for unemployment, I said " but you're working, you can't do that - we don't do shtick in this family!" I guess I feel duped 2x. Obviously, Noone expected to get paid $3,000 without youth corp this year, but a fair pay? Minimum wage? Why not?

FYI unemployment was still allowed if you made less than $504 a week. So you can still try applying online. And a 19 year old should be getting minimum wage at least. I wonder if it’s cuz she’s single...

snooper86

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 3:16 am

Chaya123 wrote:

How old is she and where do you live? That's a lot! My almost 15 year old daughter who just started 9th grade got $95 per week for working from 930-215 every day and Friday until 12. That's the going rate in our area.
Also, not all camps paid on time. My husband worked really hard at a day camp and got paid also a few weeks after he finished working.
I think it's a nice amount and maybe she can buy herself something nice now so she feels the reward instead of just putting it away.

OP is talking about a 19 year old who is legally an adult. For a 15 year old $95/week is fantastic as when I was that age about 10 years ago I got 300 for 4 weeks...

snooper86

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 3:21 am

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

Wow wow wow!! That’s insane!! Who gives $50 for 2 months of babysitting!! Was this in camp that you got free room and board? Was this for a family that needed help (ie. Chessed)?

amother

Saddlebrown

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 3:55 am

watergirl wrote:

I TOTALLY hear that! I try to look at these things like this: Rosh Hashanah is coming so soon! It's not a coincidence that Hashem arraigned it that she should just NOW get her check. Or that you were drawn to post about this here. All of us reading this now have something to learn. And YES! It is SO humbling for me when I have a reminder like this. I also have been the one to get upset about pay or whatever and then it hits me in the face who really decided what.

Literally it is at the final cut off now of 5780. It is not a coincidence that I just got 3 text messages OUT OF THE BLUE (literally as I was typing this I stopped because I got a text) from people wanting to buy a $10 item I sell. I am not even kidding. Apparently I am supposed to get another $30 this year. Right down to the wire.

Thank you for posting this! I had some unexpected expenses this week and my husband was so stressed. I'm going to share this w him in the morning. (I have chronic insomnia)

amother

Powderblue

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 12:04 pm

My 12th grader worked in a camp this summer. She paid $300 to go. Transportation expenses we paid, another $300. She got just under $300 in tips so she basically broke even on her end. We knew this going into it so we were okay with it. I told her to enjoy this summer bc after graduation she’ll need to be working at a job that actually pays. However. With my other girls I insisted that if they wanted to go to seminary they’d need to work a real job the summer after 11th and 12th so they could cover half the cost. This year bc of covid things were different and it wasn’t easy to find anything.

Chayalle

Fri, Sep 18 2020, 12:30 pm

OP I think it's not worth getting worked up over money. Sometimes, we just have to say, okay, this is from Hashem, at least it's only money and not something bigger. (even though yes, it can hurt).

I remember when I was a teen, I accepted a job for 1/2 summer at a backyard daycamp that was run by an older teen I knew. I remember she told me she would pay me $300 for the 1/2. I was happy because it was a little more than the going rate in local (non-backyard) daycamps and I wanted to earn the extra.

Just before daycamp started, she called me and told me that she just wants to let me know that she will only be paying me $200 because that is the going rate for my age in most daycamps.

I remember feeling really hurt at the time. It was too late for me to get another job at that point. And I wouldn't have accepted the job for that price to begin with - it was much more fun to work at one of the local big daycamps with my friends, so in that setting the less $ was worth it. Working for her at that rate was not. She basically did not leave me with any choice, and I had a bit of a bitter taste working for her.

In the scheme of life the $100 is not a big deal, but as a teen I felt hurt and taken advantage of. (She had a big group, she made a ton of money, and she shortchanged me $100 because she could.)

I think there's a big issue in alot of camp/daycamp settings with people not keeping their word. I've heard this type of thing over and over again. Our teens need jobs to keep them occupied, and people running the show know this and take advantage.

From my perspective, I'll let her answer to Hashem if what she did was yashrusdik, after 120. We will get up there and be asked, Nasasa V'nasata B'Emunah? Was it worth the extra few bucks? But it's not worth getting upset or holding on to gripe too much, it hurts us more.