View Full Version : $160 no-show fee?
Harleigh HellKat
04-21-2010, 07:42 PM
Exactly. Ok, scenario for you: You become a hairstylist and you have two options... one is to work FOR a salon, and the other is to rent a booth. If you pay rent to work somewhere, then you work for yourself and get the scheduling and price setting that comes along with being self employed, right? Now say you pay 300 bucks a week to rent this booth, and they tell you that it will be a 500$ fine if you ask off work for any reason, medical, vacation or otherwise. Or they tell you that they will take 50 % of your earnings if you don't wear all black. The point is, you didn't give THEM 300 dollars a week to be told what to do and be exploited.
If this occurred in any other field the BBB, EEOC, and what have you organizations would be all over them. Somehow stripping eludes the uber-politically correct worker's rights suits that have permeated every other job field.... until recently. Of course, that's because stripping isn't a worthwhile career pursuit for a respectable young lady. ::)
It all comes down to: I'm not handing you a ridiculous amount of money to work my ass off in YOUR establishment, then be chastised for breaking some ridiculous rule about tattoos, being 30 seconds late on a slow night, or having the fucking flu with 103 degree temp. They view dancers as a dime a dozen... but guess what? So are clubs.
It's all about the bullshit-money ratio.
Don't mind me... I've been drinking. :D
deedee at the beach
04-22-2010, 03:36 PM
My turn to rant....(he he)...
I agree with you on the dime-a-dozen club thing, and understand that this is a business and it needs to generate money in order to keep the doors open. (but where does that "fine" and "fees" money end up going anyhow? A manager can't say something like "oh, GiGi's not comin in tonite... I think I will charge her a no-show fee of $500 and who ends up collecting that money?
Who's pocket get lined with your hard-earned cash???? It's income that's not predicted, so how can the management charge you for that???
Its not like it's an expected income for the club.. .I mean, what if, one day NONE of your dancers show up are you going to charge each of them a $500 fee? Management and club owners would be totally screwed....and if the dancers refused to pay then get some other poor dancer to come along and pay it out? And what if they simply refuse to??? At best you'll get fired. I know then some other dancer will come along and fill that spot. It's total abuse and we women need to come together on this....am I totally wrong???....It totally defeats the purpose to make a living.
Harleigh HellKat
04-22-2010, 05:57 PM
This actually happened at a club back home... Their rival club reopened after being shut down for remodeling issues. The day they reopened all but two dancers, including me :D, packed their bags for the Platinum and never looked back.
As far as the generating money thing goes... they generate money from the door fees, drinks, cigarette machines, dance fees, house fees, ATM fees, food if they have it, cigars if they sell those, champagne rooms, and OUR house fees. I don't think they are hurting for money. I'd also like to add that most clubs pay very few of their employees and they work for tips from us... which saves the club money but a lot of times these people, bouncers DJs etc don't even get tipped by the girls.
(While I'll bitch and complain about paying fines I don't agree with stiffing my bouncer, DJ, or makeup artist if I can damn well help it.)
The perpetual fining but not firing rule is stupid, and you end up with a lot of undesirable dancers who continually break the rules because they know they won't lose their job. If management is willing to turn a blind eye to your antics for some hard cash, then what all kinds of antics can you get up to without losing your job? I think it spawns in house prostitution, unbalanced playing fields, and unfair conditions. (Think: The ones breaking the rules to make more money can afford some of the fines while the ones who are clean but show up 2 minutes late cannot.)
Do they report the hundreds of dollars they take from us? Most likely... no. And you are 100 percent correct... it does defeat the purpose of earning a 'living'. Instead of earning yours, you're making someone else wealthy.
deedee at the beach
04-22-2010, 08:56 PM
Ok, so hypothetically, what if you make like under $50 one shift and you get "fined" $150 for being late for that shift, obviously you can't pay it, then what? Does it carry over to the next shift you work?
Or what if you made $500 that shift and said you only made $50 how's anyone going to know exactly how much money you made or didn't make?
ViolaStrings
04-22-2010, 08:58 PM
Deja Vu clubs count your dances and keep a cut. Then they would want 50% of your earnings after that cut. Yep.
Harleigh HellKat
04-22-2010, 09:24 PM
This is why I like clubs that let you set your own dance price and don't take a cut of your VIP. Because that is how it SHOULD be... you are paying them for a space to work in. If they are taking your money... leave. It will bite them in the ass one day, either with a lawsuit or an empty club with no girls OR customers.
I want to open a club one day I tell you what.... ::shakes fists::
deedee at the beach
04-22-2010, 09:34 PM
deja vu clubs count your dances and keep a cut. Then they would want 50% of your earnings after that cut. Yep.
wtf!!!!! Total
bullshit!!!!
deedee at the beach
04-22-2010, 09:41 PM
I was thinking the same...opening up a club, but make it more fair to the women who dance so THEY can actually take home the money they worked THEIR ASSES off to get...NO Fees, NO Fines...NO Bullshit AND you certainly wouldn't have to be subjected to getting offered to suck some dudes' cock just to get hired!!!
Harleigh HellKat
04-23-2010, 01:32 AM
Quote: NO Bullshit AND you certainly wouldn't have to be subjected to getting offered to suck some dudes' cock just to get hired!!!
Nah just my strap on. :D:D:D just kidding...
::Smacks nearby dancer on the ass:: Hey behbey whatchu doin when you get off? Me? Oh I'm doin you, sweet thang. Free house tonight if ya wanna have some fuuuuun.
Hehe sorry I was just imagining life as a sleazy strip club owner.... ROFL. Ooh funny story, once I was propositioned by the owner's girlfriend at unnamed club for 300 bucks. o_O
Oh another funny story... some of the worst clubs I've worked in were women owned.... old bitter greedy women nonetheless. Men tend to be more lenient. Old hags don't care how many times you bat your eyelashes and pout.
I'd still like to open a club that functioned half-assed normally. I think it would be a three strike system for offenses with a fine or suspension for the first 2 or 3 strikes then termination if it continually happens... and not for stupid things like having tattoos. And immediate termination for prostitution and drug use. This way girls are actually learning a lesson... a milder punishment at first followed by termination if they don't get their act together.
deedee at the beach
04-23-2010, 10:18 AM
LMAO...OMG you're too funny!!! And eewww.... you're sorta scaring me away from dancing from these stories you just mentioned....
FYI---I'm not a dancer...yet (still on the fence about it) and I have my reasons why.
but yes ....agreed...I think stupid offenses for getting fined for having tattoos is senseless, I have none personally but I think it's something that's going to set you apart from the other dancers. And yes agreed on everything else you stated on prostitution and drugs absolutely agree!
Harleigh HellKat
04-23-2010, 11:03 AM
It's not bad if you find an awesome club... I have a lot of fun dancing. Even when crap like that happens, I usually just laugh at the ridiculousness of getting propositioned.... by a chick.
Every job has it's ups and downs, and this is a job that's filled with a lot of colorful characters. :D
sunnyb
04-29-2010, 05:32 AM
Ugggh I know you all are right. And I want to stand up for myself. But even a lot of girls who have been working there FOREVER with saggy wrinkly titties still have to pay all these fees. I figured if they all put up with it, who am I (the new girl) to say anything?
Harleigh HellKat
04-29-2010, 11:20 AM
I would tell them they can have their girls with saggy wrinkley tittays and take my butt to another club. But that's just me, I don't like stupid club rules, and I have to be happy. But if you make awesome money there, I'd stick it out... it's all about the money- bullshit ratio. Which is more?
DesuvsDeath
04-29-2010, 11:51 AM
Um, I guess it differs from club to club then, because all the girls I know who've worked in DJV branches in different states say they're fucking money-grubbing assholes who will fine you for EVERYTHING. This is also the case for the MN one.
I worked for the MN one. I was never fined for anything. :(
Every DJV club I've ever worked for (5-6 of them now)... I've honestly NEVER been charged for anything. Missed shifts, showing up late, leaving early.
Like... I'm really horrified at some of the experiences some of the rest of you seem to be having...
The worst "penalty" I've ever had was when I missed 4 scheduled days in a month... I got asked to work TWO DAYS the next week. And then they took me off the schedule altogether and told me to just come in when I came in since I never showed up the days I signed up for. Lol.
Otoki
05-03-2010, 12:43 AM
^^They must have really liked you, then. I've never worked with a girl who didn't get fined there, and a few of them were super-reliable, on top of it girls.
Jessamin
05-04-2010, 07:26 PM
I hate this crap. OK, yes, we are independent contractors. So paying the house fee and a percentage of earnings makes sense. But on the other hand, what would a strip club without dancers be? It is a symbyotic relationship, which I think club management has a tendancy to forget becuase there are so many dancers out there.
On club I worked for had pretty standard rates, $50 house fee and 25% of all dances/VIP. Tips were yours, though. However, at this particular club you had to show up at before 8pm on nights you were scheduled and couldn't leave before the club shut (around 5am). You were not allowed to go out for a break, to get food, or even for a smoke (and nowhere to smoke in the club). We got in trouble for hanging out in the change rooms too. Now, I figure, if I'm paying to be here and am on stage every time I'm meant to be, what I do with it is my choice. It doesn't really cost the club anything to keep me here (in fact, they're making money), so if I want to sit around in the change room all night, that's my choice. I'm not gonna make money, but thats my problem.
And the not being allowed out at all, that's illegal in any job they pay by the hour for, so why should I have to put up with it when I'm paying to work?
Harleigh HellKat
05-04-2010, 11:34 PM
Exactly. You should have breaks to eat or sit or grab some water at least every 2-4 hours. And 8pm to 5 am is a 9 hour shift!!! I don't get why most clubs go out of their way to treat us like crap. They truly don't understand the symbiotic relationship and wonder why they end up with sub-par dancers.
chitownchick
05-05-2010, 11:02 AM
thats absurd!!!! ive worked for plenty of clubs that charge a house fee, of 20-30 $, once was 40. then you tip out 10% to dj -and 5% to floor guys. a couple of clubs ive worked in have no house fee but you have to stay a minmum of 4 hoursd or you have to pay 20$. no schedule, come and go as you please. i would never work anywhere taking rthat much money from me, and all the clubs that have charged house fees take out very little on dances.