I'm posting something slightly different (I think) than posts regarding wages in the past. I can't seem to find a topic relating to my particular issue, and I'm looking for some feedback.
Here's the story.
I've got 8+ years of barista/coffee experience behind me. I've also got coffee shop management and supervisor positions on my resume.
I was hired at the end of May into a local catering company who was opening up a delicatessen housing a coffee station, a deli station, and a grocery area. We put in 3 months of training, education, and building in order to get the place up on its feet. I naturally stepped into a sort of "leader" position - communicating with the general manager about ordering and inventory, helping with training, etc. I put in extra time visiting the roasters who take care of our coffee, extra time, stocking and cleaning, and sometimes 13 hour days tying up loose ends and the like. Everyone was hired in at the same starting wage - 9 an hour, though it was communicated to me from the very beginning that the higher-ups saw me as someone with leadership abilities and the potential to go far with the business. I was hired in as full-time, 40 hours a week.
We're now about 4 months into the life of the business - a week and a half into it actually being open, and my second week of 40+ hours, and I've been approached about going salary. I'd become the official coffee head, but my responsibilities would essentially stay the same as they were before, since I naturally stepped into them - communicating to the GM about ordering and stocking, training, most likely opening the cafe on a daily basis, etc. I wouldn't be a manager, necessarily, since we have a GM who oversees the entire delicatessen and is in charge of hiring, payroll, inventory, scheduling, banking, etc. Also, I would be spending about 3-5 hours a week (above and beyond my full time bar shifts) brewing homemade chai for the purposes of selling it for profit in the coffee bar area - I do not pay for the ingredients out of pocket and if I do, they are reimbursed. I was also told that going onto a salary would potentially involve 40-50 hour work weeks sometimes - which I figure is normal. You go salary, and you work as much as is needed in order to accomplish your tasks.
Here are the issues that I'm struggling with, though. (And, mind you, being on salary would involve health insurance and paid time off, both of which I have yet to find out the exact details of, but still.) The salary quote offered would give me about a $1.50 an hour raise, based on a 40 hour work week (including shifts only - not including other coffee head stuff), and before taxes and health insurance costs. If I work more than 40 hours a week, which is not only likely but pretty much a fact at this point, I stand to be making even less than I am making now, as hourly barista. Also, we don't have a tip jar at work - any and all income would be in the form of my bi-weekly paycheck. And, while I understand that my position is basically a glorified (yet extremely experienced and knowledgable) barista, I can't help but feel like the quote given to me is a bit low, especially considering the extra responsibilities, the extra hours, the lack of tips, the chai brewing, etc.
I guess my question is this: what IS fair? I'm supposed to sit down with my boss in the next few days to discuss details, and while I have a list of questions and number crunches for him, I'd like to be a little more armed as far as wages go.
Again, thanks in advance for any and all advice. :)
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