Home › Forum › Workplace Issues › Borders Books

Highest Supervisor Pay

Mon, 10/03/2005 - 23:16 — taylor

So what is the highest amount that a supervisor can hoped to be payed? Not a manager, but a supervisor. What is the result of trying to hold out for a reasonable amount so that one can live off of it. Example - $10 an hour gets you roughly $21,000 before taxes each year. $13 an hour gets you roughly $27,000 before taxes. $15 gets you in the low 30s before taxes. I'm talking realistically so that one can support one's self and family so they will not be for need.

‹ Banned from Borders Can't get anyone to pick up at the 401k Benefits Number ›
Tue, 10/04/2005 - 00:24 — Dogma

It may be helpful to know what area of the country you are working in, since there are some cost of living adjustments. In say, North Carolina, a supervisor can expect to make maybe $9.50, depending on how long they've been with the company,previous evals etc. The same supervisor can expect to make around $10.75 in California.

In either case, supporting a family would be quite difficult.

Tue, 10/04/2005 - 02:34 — redandblack

it's in the BEST! "People" manual that you should have access to. don't expect much from them taylor. not without some "concerted activity"

best of luck.

Wed, 10/05/2005 - 08:19 — NoCoHo

taylor wrote:
What is the result of trying to hold out for a reasonable amount so that one can live off of it. Example - $10 an hour gets you roughly $21,000 before taxes each year. $13 an hour gets you roughly $27,000 before taxes. $15 gets you in the low 30s before taxes. I'm talking realistically so that one can support one's self and family so they will not be for need.

That's an easy one to answer: Fuggedaboudit. Asking for a livable wage that would support a family above the poverty level will mean you won't get the job. The only people making that kind of money are store managers and other higher-ups.

Where I live, starting wages at fast food restaurants are only slightly less than I make after several years at Borders. No lie!

Sat, 10/08/2005 - 05:17 — SilverHand

I just stepped down from supervisor (and also just joined this site)and I can tell you there isn't that much of a difference in pay between positions - $1.50 to be exact. Unless you desire to move up to a manager position, in my opinion being a bookseller is a lot better position.

Sat, 10/08/2005 - 09:31 — bordercollie

In our store, a large number of the workers who've been there a while have been promoted to supervisor or manager then stepped back down to bookseller or IPT. The boost in pay, and the added responsibilities that took them away from what they did well, just wasn't worth it.

Thu, 10/20/2005 - 16:56 — bmorestoney

that said, sometimes the change in team or position is great.

my raise was just icing; it was the opportunity to work alongside great supervisors and managers who had made my experience with Borders rewarding that made me jump when the position opened up.

Mon, 10/24/2005 - 01:21 — redandblack

hey bmorestoney whats your thoughts on unions?

iww.org

Wed, 10/26/2005 - 15:14 — Magus

I have seen sup pay range from $8.50 to $15 and hour. The pay is pretty standard considering what the requirments for holding the position are.

You have to think, many of Borders jobs are entry level positions. Because of this the company can afford to have lower pay. Why you ask? Because there is always someone else looking for a job and are qualified to do it.

If you are looking for more money then you need to get out of retail and into industry or retail managment at the General Manager level or above. Its like the lifeguards at the public pools, most pools hire highschool students and pay a little over min wage. Why? Because there are always highschool students looking for a job. No one expects to own a home and the hottest automobile just off a lifeguard wage. Samething with retail.

Thu, 10/27/2005 - 23:42 — office monkey
office monkey's picture

At one time industrial jobs sucked just as much as retail.
Unions changed that.
To threaten people with the fact that 'anybody' can do their job ignores the very things that make good employees.
This is the kind of attitude that keeps people working two or three jobs to pay the rent.
A store suffers when its employees are living paycheck to paycheck and constantly worried about making ends meet.

Fri, 10/28/2005 - 13:27 — Magus

You know you are right, industrial jobs sucked just as much as retail and unions did change that however most industrial jobs require some type of guild training or other vocational training that retail does not require. Retail is about selling and remedial tasks. Industrial labor is about production of goods, skilled trade labor is a must. Retail only requires good social skills and some manual dexterity of the normal office level job to start and through your on the job development do you improve. Industrial positions require some proof of an additional skill to get and interview and demand a much more thorough evaluation to be hired. Until these standards become common place in the retail world it is not reasonable to believe that you can not be easily replaced.

The Value of a good employee is priceless, that is true. A good employee though wishes to develop and improve the company or workplace in a very positive cooperative manner, not by force or by outside pressures. You get more flies with honey then with a bowel of vinegar.

The idea of bringing the retail position on par with a skilled trade without requiring the same standards that industral jobs require seems to be in light of a communist society (a doctor making the same wage as a taxi driver even though the Dr. went through many more years of schooling and training to get their degree to practice medicine). Last time I check this country was based on a capitalistic economic structure that the core revolves around supply and demand. Meaning that as long as there are millions of people willing to work in the retail world there will always be someone to replace us. Ideally this would not be the case but unfortunately this is the reality of the situation.

123next ›last »