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I worked for Borics Haircare for 7 years. For the last 5 years managed a location that was the slowest location in the area I was in.

I brought that store out of the hole at -$30,000 to +$10,000 in 9 months time. Through those 5 years, the salon had its ups and downs by way of poor economy and there was a fire in my plaza in May of 2013 that hurt our plaza as a whole. We survived by add on services. Then in March of 2014, my only two stylists approaches me at work explaining that some union people had come to their homes with their pamphlets and encouraged them to join.

One stylist in particular was encouraging me to join even. I know as not just a manager, but in my own feelings that a union does NOT suit a salon business. Unions do NOT understand the hair industry at all. A week after my stylists approached me with this information, I had found out that several stylists at our sister stores were also visited by union people at their homes and I had to attend a corporate meeting on how to handle this.

None of us managers were visited however. I was informed that as a manager, I would NOT be allowed to do hair anymore. I would have no say in voting for or against the union. I would NOT even be allowed to sweep hair, fold towels, or clean a toilet for that matter in the event of unionization.The only thing I'd be able to do is "supervise" in other words stand and watch for 8 hours a day as I'd have to follow union protocal.

After the meeting, I had a separate meeting with my girls and told them it was their legal right to pursue this union if they wished to do so, but that I would have no part in it and would put in my resignation if I found out that it was continued to be pursued. It would affect my income and well being to be unable to do hair anymore. I would not be able to feed my infant daughter. A week after that meeting with my girls, I found out through another stylist, that the one stylist in particular that was encouraging me to join, had set up a meeting anyway with these union people.

I had given my word that I'd resign my position, and I then went to a salon down the street where a few of my friends work and had an interview and was hired. I asked the new salon to give me a week to think on it to make absolute sure it was the right decision and so I could find my words to explain to my district leader why I was choosing to resign. In that week, I had received a phone call from a guest that was unhappy with her visit to my salon location. She had explained that while in the lobby waiting to receive a haircut, a stylist was discussing this union stuff to her guest that was in her chair.

Bashing Regis Corporation and saying that a union is what needs to happen to scare them into pay raises etc. I had asked this guest on the phone if she remembered which stylist it was and her description of this stylist was that of the one who had tried to encourage me to join this union and set up the meeting with the union people anyway. She told me that she had decided to leave and have her hair cut elsewhere as she felt this stylist was unprofessional and I apologized and agreed with her. I had my decision made for me in a very short period of time that it was time to part ways.

The day I told my district leader I was resigning I had also told her about the stylist setting up a meeting with the union and about the client that called. I handed over documentation of the phone call to my district leader as well. My district leader and I cried together about my possible resignation and even her boss called me after work trying to convince me to stay offering for me to transfer to another location. My district leader's boss told me not to make a final decision THAT day, but to sleep on it.

Upon her wishes I did so. I had discussed with my husband this decision to resign for the reasons present and prayed on it and barely slept that night. The next day I called my district leader and told her I needed to meet her at my salon and give her my key to the shop and got my license. I could not let someone take away my clients that I worked hard for for 7 years.

Whether the unionization would've come to fruition or not, it would've been a terrible, uncomfortable position to stay in anymore. After leaving and starting at the new salon, I was getting word that this specific stylist wanting to unionize was dragging my name through the mud to everyone coming in the door saying I just left them high and dry with no explanation which is very untrue. I gave fair warning when I had my meeting with the girls of what my decision would be if the union was pursued further. I also know that my district leader and her boss NEVER once talked to this stylist about the customer complaint either.

In fact, they are more concerned about giving her everything and anything she wants as they fear she will pursue this union further. Any day off she wants she gets. Any shift she wants she gets. Buying her lunch and "slapping her high fives" was a direct quote from a witness of this.

I don't think this company has a clue as to really handle a business now that I've parted ways. In fact, I have been doing hair for a total of 11 years and this new salon I'm at has given me more education in the last 6 weeks of my new employment than in the 5 years I managed that Borics salon. They are failing their stylists miserably in the education realm. There are so many more services to be offered that they don't.

They also didn't pay me near enough for my talent and expertise that I had from my training post beauty school and prior to my employment with Borics. I was continuing my own education via videos and articles online. But unfortunately, a lot of those things I could not even service as it wasn't even offered. I'm hurt at this outcome.

I feel I was worth nothing in the long run to them. Just another "number" really. The only things I'm grateful for being employed with a Regis salon was having the management experience which taught me better customer service skills and numbers, picking up my speed with certain services, and gaining the amazing clientele that I did. Other than that, I have been hardened to the company and feel they have no clue how to run a salon business, much less handle a problem employee.

To the reader since you've made it this far, I hope if you decide to work for this company, that your treatment is far better than what mine ended up being at the end of 7 years. And lastly, out of those two stylists of mine, the one who wanted NOTHING to do with the union either also resigned her position and is working at the same new salon as I am. Less stress, less confrontation, less walking on eggshells. And to any Regis Corporation big wig reading this, I hope you take my words seriously.

You are allowing employees walk all over you that need to be terminated, and letting those employees worthy who care slip through your fingers. It's YOUR business and you are letting unprofessional people run it into the ground.

Location: Naperville, Illinois

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