Stealing groomers/employees....

[poodlecrazy78]

There is a local vet who this time last year called my shop and asked for one of my groomers. She wasn't there that day so I gave him her cell number. A week later she told me they offered her a job and she was leaving. Ok, I've dealt with that its over.
In November I hired another groomer that moved here, she was still needing some training so I worked with her for 2 months. Mid january she says shes too stress and can't do it any more (she was working full time as a server also). Ok no hard feelings I understand keep in touch and when your ready we'll work something out. Yesterday I find out she is now working at the same vets office with my ex-groomer!! On top of that my bather tells me oh well a couple of months after the 1st groomer quit she ran into her and my ex-groomer offered my bather a job and promised to teach her to groom! I went to the groomer that took the 1st groomers place knowing she had ran into her (we live in a relatively small town) and ask her well did she offer you a job also? Her reply was well actually she did!! I am so upset. Are they trying to put me out of business? They are a very well respected vet but there business practices are severly lacking!! When I am looking for someone to work I come here or go to a staffing agency I don't contact someone elses help!! I am wondering if I have any legal rights, are they going to continue contacting everyone I bring in?? Sorry so long!

[Particentral]

Non compete clauses are your best bet if your state would enforce them. I WOULD talk to the vet but it liekly will do no good. That is REALLY not ethical. BAD business.

[lexapurple]

I don't think that you have any rights as in to stop the vet from doing it, but I understand your frustration. It is very rude to call the business and solicit their employees to go work for you.
I would call my phone company and block all the numbers related to this vet.

[sittingpretty]

That certainly seems underhanded. I think you might want to find out what these girls were offered, more money? benefits? vacation time? Perhaps the "package" was was just too tempting.

It is unfortunate that any business would resort to this. My guess is they were lured away. Maybe you need to find out what you can do to keep your staff happy and not want to leave. It would be hard to compete with the options a large vet clinic (or any business) might be able to offer. But it may give you peace of mind as to why they would leave you.
The economy is tough and if benefits were the lure, perhaps they felt they had to go for it.

On the other hand, this vet must think highly of you and the professionalism and quality of your work, they wanted YOUR staff! I certainly don't want this to sound harsh, just my thoughts. I am really sorry you have had this happen. This may be one of the reasons some of us work alone.


sittingpretty

[SwissNChow]

I don't think anyone can "Steal" your employees. It's up to the employer to keep them. I can't blame anyone for choosing to go to a job offering better pay/benefits. If you can't provide the pay or the benefits, and the guy down the street can, you are likely to lose employees to them.

Now, is it frustrating to find someone, train them, get them doing things exactly as you like and then lose them to the next employer? Of course, but it is the natural course of things. If employers don't create a draw to keep their employees, the employee will move on. Sometimes it's for better pay. Sometimes it is for a better position. Sometimes it's for the opportunity of advancement. Etc. You just can't fault an employee for finding better opportunities.

Do I condone the vet for calling your shop to "recruit" your employees? No, and you shouldn't allow that. But will that stop them from recruiting when they run into them in the grocery store, absolutely not. Is there anything wrong or illegal about it. Nope. All businesses have to recruit employees.

Again, it's up to the employer to keep their employees. There are always going to be other opportunities elsewhere.

[RPS]

I am so sorry this is happening to you. I cannot say that they exactly 'stole' them, it is part of the business world at large really. Many companies seek out 'good' staff. A very good friend of ours (in the banking industry) has changed jobs 3 times in the past 5 years... each time because the 'new' place offered better pay & benefits.

Now if they were taking clients info that would be a different story legally. Ive worked with a few groomers who feel they should be treated as though they are irreplaceable, NO ONE is!
I have seen so many (back handed) really dirty tricks... one groomer wanted to open her own place, worked for a shop, clients saw only a big smile, was told how their pet was the best dog ever etc.. then back in the grooming area... she was nasty, complaining and aggresive with every dog. Well she actually botching several grooms on purpose.. saw the pets owners outside of the shop, then proceeded to inform them she was opening her own place because it was the owner who had did the 'bad' grooms & she just could not believe how the owner had let her standards go such a low level...

Cost the owner many clients, hurt her reputation, this groomer went so far as to steal clients cards & send out grand opening mailing to them. Despite what we all want to think about people.. you need to be careful period. NO ONE IS INDISPENSABLE except you!

[Doubledogdare]

Non compete clauses are your best bet if your state would enforce them..

I once checked out a job that required I sign a really stringent non-compete. I trotted that clause past an attorney and was told such clauses violate fair trade statues and are largely non-enforceable.

You have a right to shop your time and talent to the highest bidder. Where the issue starts getting into the weeds is when an employer wants to dictate where you can, or cannot, work if you no longer are their employee. Especially if that new job would give you higher compensation than you currently receive.

[abandk03]

I would be very upset as well. On the other hand if somebody offered me something I could not turn down, I probably would do it.

[sheilabgroomer]

I am wondering since the vet called your work and asked for this groomer by name if SHE might not have been the one to approach the vet at some point about a job? It just seems weird that the vet would call and ask for a particular groomer by name unless they knew that person was in the market for a job. If this is the case, I think your anger should
probabaly be directed at your ex-employee who didn't let you know she was job hunting and then turned around and "romanced" your other employees away.

Something else you might want to ask yourself is what can YOU do to make your shop the more desirable place to work? I am not suggesting that you are a bad employeer, but there must be SOMETHING that is making the "grass look greener" at the vets office. Find out what it is and up the ante.

[Particentral]

If you train someone in the field, they are most likely to be enforcable. Also, limits on time and distance MUCT be reasonable, not 100 miles, or even 20 miles in most cases. Some states do not enforce them. That is why I said IF the state will enforce them and I should add IF they are written to your states standards. If the perosn come in fully trained, it is a different situation, and still enforcable in SOME cases, but not all.

[poodlecrazy78]

thank you

That certainly seems underhanded. I think you might want to find out what these girls were offered, more money? benefits? vacation time? Perhaps the "package" was was just too tempting.

It is unfortunate that any business would resort to this. My guess is they were lured away. Maybe you need to find out what you can do to keep your staff happy and not want to leave. It would be hard to compete with the options a large vet clinic (or any business) might be able to offer. But it may give you peace of mind as to why they would leave you.
The economy is tough and if benefits were the lure, perhaps they felt they had to go for it.

On the other hand, this vet must think highly of you and the professionalism and quality of your work, they wanted YOUR staff! I certainly don't want this to sound harsh, just my thoughts. I am really sorry you have had this happen. This may be one of the reasons some of us work alone.


sittingpretty

Thank you sittingpretty I hadn't looked at it like that it does make me feel a little better that that would be the reason.

[kats_melody]

As others have pointed out, a person has the right to offer their services to the employer who offers them the most compensation, whether it be money, benefits, or a combination of the two.

No one "stole" anything. You do not have any rights to your employees absent a written, legally binding employment contract.

[Gracy Rose]

When it first happened, I would have spoke to the vet and mentioned this would be better handled "outside your shop". Like Sheila, I am assuming she must have approached them. I do find it extremely UNPROFESSIONAL to call your shop. I had a shop not far from mine call and offer a job to one of my groomers- she was more put off by the lack of ethics of the owner for doing this.

But as many mentioned "happy employees don't leave". You need a great employment agreement and a "team talk"- find out their issues and what y'all as a team can do to improve the work atmosphere. I understand that a Vets office tends to make their money from Vet Med and sometimes has more leeway in offering money to groomers. I know that as a salon you are more restricted on what you can pay- but work with your employees to see what their issues are. You may be shocked, it may have NOTHING to do with money but with employer relations, environment or perks.

[TheyCallMeMom]

I don't think anyone can "Steal" your employees. ...Again, it's up to the employer to keep their employees. There are always going to be other opportunities elsewhere.

I agree and feel the same way about clients. Both are people and have free will.. I agree, its crummy practice but in the same manner, they did leave.