Saturday, September 27, 2008

Hold events, pay for them yourself.

Please sir, I want some cupcakes for my outreach eventI know exactly what today's submission by an ex Studio Manager is talking about: at Easter I shelled out thirty bucks for our outreach event and the studio manager did likewise.

She writes, "I regularly bought balloons, cupcakes and goodie bags for the monthly birthday event out of my own pocket. When I began to question upper management about this, they got all shifty-eyed and began squirming in their seats. I was told I should visit bakeries and other businesses in my area and ask them to donate their products for the events. WTF? This is a for profit CORPORATION, not the United Way!!!"

"The icing on the cake was when my (former) DM visited my studio and showed me a photo from the #1 studio in the district from their "Fairy Forest" event. The set up was very elaborate: garden arches, toads, mushrooms, and tons of flowers, etc.

"I said, "Wow, that looks awesome! Who paid for all the stuff?" Of course, DM's whole demeanor changed, and he replied that the studio manager had paid for it, not expecting to be reimbursed. So, that's how she runs that $175 PRS: she pays for new props and decorations.

If things are so bad that CPI can't give the studios a monthly $20 slush fund for events (the equivalent of one set of specs sheets sold), maybe they can apply for food stamps- at least that would pay for the cupcakes."

"Shortly after this conversation took place, I was told I had a bad attitude and the write-ups began... "

2 comments:

leosgirl said...

Yes, yes, yes! This out of pocket spending is absolutely expected on managers. We were regularly asked to purchase misc supplies for the studio as well--things that the corporate office wouldn't supply in its supply requisition. My husband got fed up with the extra money I was spending and I spoke to my DM who had a similar squirmish reaction. Fortunately, I didn't stay with the company much longer. There should definitely be a spending account for each studio. It is not right to require that your employees pay for props, food, supplies, etc that are only benefiting the company. Some may say that doing so means that you'll get a nice hefty bonus, however, even when my studio was well producing over the previous year and number 1 in my district, the largest bonus I ever got was $260, and that didn't even come close to the money I had dished out of my own pocket. Besides, getting a bonus should not be a reimbursement anyway.

Anonymous said...

Our DM likes to come in and randomly throw away our props, and then expects us to run a good PRS...she literally told our manager that she should be throwing away "one shopping cart per week" of old & un-needed props, paperwork, etc.
We don't HAVE a shopping card full of props anymore, thanks to her.
I guess she expects us to buy new things so that she can come in and throw them all away.