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Update: My friend's small business started paying everyone the same wage, and the vibe totally changed
So my friend runs a little coffee shop in Asheville, and about six months ago, he made a big change. He switched from paying different rates based on job title to paying every single employee, from barista to shift lead, the same flat $18 an hour. I mean, he said he wanted to get rid of the 'us vs. them' feeling between front and back of house. The before and after is pretty wild. Before, there was always some grumbling about who got more hours or why the new person was making less. Now, people just swap tasks way more freely. The person who used to only do register will jump in to help with deep cleaning without being asked, because it's all the same pay. It feels more like a team, but I'm also wondering if it's fair to the people with more skill or who've been there longer. They're doing more complex work for the same money as someone on their first day. Has anyone else seen a place try something like this? How did it work out long term?
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michaeltorres6mo ago
Yeah but come on, is the gossip really that big of a deal, vera_robinson36? People will always find something to talk about. I get wanting a team vibe, but paying the person who knows how to fix the espresso machine the same as the kid who just learned how to steam milk seems off. What's the point of getting better at your job? You're just gonna train the new guy for free while he makes your same wage. Sounds like a quick way for your skilled people to get bored and leave.
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mia7004mo ago
Right, because paying everyone the same definitely won't cause the guy who can rebuild the machine blindfolded to start updating his resume on his phone during his break. Nothing says "we value your expertise" like telling the seasoned barista their extra skills are worth the same as the new kid who still asks where the beans are. That's a real fast track to a staff full of people who all do the bare minimum, and then you get to enjoy your burnt, foamy espresso all by yourself.
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vera_robinson366mo ago
That "us vs. them" feeling is so real. My old job had a huge pay gap between departments and the gossip was just toxic.
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the_wyatt6mo ago
Man, that pay gap gossip is brutal. I saw it at a friend's office where the sales team got these insane quarterly bonuses. The support staff found out and it just killed morale for months. People in accounting would make these little comments every time a sales guy walked by. It wasn't even about the money after a while, it was just this thick air of resentment.
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