Did any freelancers get let go after Jan 1st!? After XMAS season????! WTH!!

[diorgrl]

So it was CLEAR that I was hired as Freelance last fall. I pretty much had steady P/T hours and was even in the schedule a month in advance.

Then the holiday season came and I was put on every single weekend, nights, and all holidays! Plus I worked elsewhere so I was working 60 hrs a week with no days off!! It was CRAZY busy busy busy for me for from fall till the end of the holiday season.

I'm then told, thanks your at the end of the contract. What?? What contract?... I was told I was hired as 'contract'..... noo.... and I was told several times (with witnesses) that I was "loved here" and that I would be kept after the holiday season as the main freelancer.

After all the hard work, super high sales goals (I over achieved them all), helped out all the other SA's with their stock, constant cleaning while the other girls just chatted and gossiped/stood there, was good friends with everyone, AND several positive customer notes written to the manager about me... and I get told at the end the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what I was promised (and signed!) all along... I feel used!!!

So what gives>?? Anyone have any insight?

 

[GreekChick]

Hired as contract means that you are needed until a certain period. For example, in our papers it will say: 15 hour retail employee position (location), contract ending (month and date). Was this specified to you during your interview?

 

[Reslnt1]

they do this every year....this year it was a tad bit early...it has to do with their own sales goals for the brand....if they think its lower than expected then the freelancers are the 1st ones to get cut.....the fiscal year resumes in June/July.....but in the meantime.....they will still probably call you for their new launches and for special events like Nordstrom's annual spring thingy...i forgot the name

 

[astronaut]

Oh no! I'd feel used too!

 

[diorgrl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreekChick Hired as contract means that you are needed until a certain period. For example, in our papers it will say: 15 hour retail employee position (location), contract ending (month and date). Was this specified to you during your interview?

Hi there! No at my interview was told that I would be their main freelance and it was even in writting. They also had "contract" xmas positions, but they wanted me to be their homebase freelancer. I specifically asked the manager if I would still be kept after xmas and she said YES b/c I was being hired as their freelancer and not just seasonal contract. I kept asking her throughout the season just to make extra sure, and she kept saying "of course! we love u!" ...and this was all in front of all the other girls too. It was clear that I was the only one that would be kept b/c I was hired as their freelancer and the others were just contracct till the end of dec.

 

[diorgrl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reslnt1 they do this every year....this year it was a tad bit early...it has to do with their own sales goals for the brand....if they think its lower than expected then the freelancers are the 1st ones to get cut.....the fiscal year resumes in June/July.....but in the meantime.....they will still probably call you for their new launches and for special events like Nordstrom's annual spring thingy...i forgot the name

Thanks...Ahh ha..I see. So this is true for MAC itself or are you refering to all the brands?

 

[FacesbyNiki]

There is a freeze, meaning even if you are someone's main freelancer, they can't call you to work until they get approved for events to have freelancers. My main counter had to fight to get me hours because of the freeze. It's not that your 'contract' is up, it's just that MAC isn't going to pay for the extra help at the moment. It will all blow over, it always does.

 

[calbear]

Yeah - just as Nikki said - after the 1st there were no additional hours. We had a 'main' freelancer that was covering hours of a staff member on maternity leave. After the first - we lost the ability to have her or anyone else come in to cover those hours. We are just out of luck because of the freeze we can't hire permanetly, hire freelancers or use already perm employees to cover the shifts.

 

[diorgrl]

Ahhh I see... thanks girls for the clarification.

So do you think they will call me back after the freeze or do I have to apply all over again?

Or is it HR/recruiting that would be calling me back after the freeze?

 

[Reslnt1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by diorgrl Ahhh I see... thanks girls for the clarification. So do you think they will call me back after the freeze or do I have to apply all over again? Or is it HR/recruiting that would be calling me back after the freeze?

they will call you back, noo reapply, no hr call

 

[erine1881]

we've only had two events so far this year, n collection and fafi. we weren't given any freelance hours for n collection, and only had 2 freelancers for fafi. corporate needs to approve freelance hours for events, and if sales are low, even if the event is thought to be popular, they won't approve hours because low sales don't warrent the high pay freelancers get. freelancers usually only work 1-2 days every 3 months or so outside of the holiday season. the next event that will need freelancers will be heatherette, so you might get called for that one. you don't need to reapply as a freelancer unless you quit.

 

[stacyq251]

Quote:

Originally Posted by diorgrl So it was CLEAR that I was hired as Freelance last fall. I pretty much had steady P/T hours and was even in the schedule a month in advance. Then the holiday season came and I was put on every single weekend, nights, and all holidays! Plus I worked elsewhere so I was working 60 hrs a week with no days off!! It was CRAZY busy busy busy for me for from fall till the end of the holiday season. I'm then told, thanks your at the end of the contract. What?? What contract?... I was told I was hired as 'contract'..... noo.... and I was told several times (with witnesses) that I was "loved here" and that I would be kept after the holiday season as the main freelancer. After all the hard work, super high sales goals (I over achieved them all), helped out all the other SA's with their stock, constant cleaning while the other girls just chatted and gossiped/stood there, was good friends with everyone, AND several positive customer notes written to the manager about me... and I get told at the end the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what I was promised (and signed!) all along... I feel used!!! So what gives>?? Anyone have any insight?

I am also a mac freelancer who was told after the holidays all freelance hours would be cut. I live in NJ

 

[dominicana90]

How long do you think this freeze will last?

 

[dominicana90]

opps double post