01/03/2026
I'm sharing a comment I made on a groomers page, so that you all remember when you go to your own groomers, that some of those poor girls might be unhappy for a real reason. -Anjii Bryers
UPDATE: I just saw you wrote that she doesnt earn enough money with you to even keep her lights on in a comment.Not mentioned in your post, would've been fair to do so yes?! Well what do you expect? Clearly shes spoken to you about it or you couldn't have written that. YOU know about it. YOU know WHY she has had to take on a second job as a vet admin, to support her continuing training with you, and you're asking your peers if its fair to sack her for getting a second job as its disrespectful to you, without bothering to tell us why....
THIS IS A YOU ISSUE.
I always ask myself, 'would I do it for that pay?'
You need to look at your pricing model and payment model and hours model, because what you're offering is not enough to keep someone from homelessness, then being upset because they have to go earn the money to keep them from the streets while also trying to respect you enough to continue their training with you until you offer them a job level that CAN keep them alive.
If you dont want pay her enough to eat, while working a hugely physically demanding job, showing that you believe in her, and that you will get all that and more back in loyalty and gratitude as she flourishes and becomes your best groomer over the next year, you can't then complain that it's actually a priority in her life to eat and keep a roof over her head or her kids heads or whatever! And I bet you'd give her a crap testimonial like you've done here if you do sack her after getting all the backup here in this group.
That's her career youre sabotaging! How cruel and incompassionate can you be!
Sorry but I get so mad at things like this. Please please be better, there's probably very few people on here that have not suffered such meanness in this industry, and it's time we all grow up and take responsibility for our part in situations.
I'm leaving my initial answer here from before the truth of the matter was revealed, so that you can reflect, and make changes to yourself and your business. Because at the end if the day you know where this reflects on your business the most? In the wee dogs entrusted into your care to feel safe in a happy service environment, that refuse to get out of their owners car, and wet themselves when they are handed over to you, terrified because your salon is to them, with a dangerous unsafe energy and environment emanating from every corner of your clinic.
If you could give us the full story we could give realistic answers. Is she getting paid well with you? Does she get the hours she needs? Is she respected by other staff and you? Honestly I work for myself because I can't be around bad space. Is she grooming elsewhere or doing something else? Might be the physical pain of sore hands or feet is telling her she can't do this full time for the next 30 years, or something and needing to balance the week to keep physically safe.
I've known staff training in all sorts of fields that started out great and excited and grateful, until the workplace became untenable, trying their best through nightly tears when they get home to stick it out as best they could until they were qualified enough to escape. Now I'm NOT saying you are like this at all I'm just saying a sit down conversation in a safe environment for both of you, might fix the issue she obviously can't talk about.
There's a reason why people jump ship, and as an owner regardless of what it is, it will at the very least help you discover anything you could improve upon, or change, or manage better, and for her, feeling like she can honestly and openly talk to you about it without being put down. It might just come down to she can't afford to feed her kids on what she's getting and has had to make the hard found decision that kids medicines are priority over anything else and someone has offered better pay. Then you know that this is a risk for all your staff and you need to look at your pricing models etc.
We outsiders can't know why she's made this decision, after you offering to give her such profound training and giving her a chance, but I bet my bottom dollar she didn't make it lightly. Might even be one of your staff is bullying her every time you're not around, or sabotaging her work. SHE is the one you need to ask, and whatever you do, DONT confront or you'll be none the wiser and she will feel gladder she made the big decision.
As owners, we are here to manage our staff and the world we make them work in. Knowing what about it is sending someone who is grateful for our opportunity running away, is one of the most important things we need to know and learn from. You got this mama bear, go be that mama bear and see if you can fix this.
Photo of Missy, here for her bath, deshed and groom at Canberras worst puppy daycare and yep, I'm not immune to saying it how it is, regardless of how chill and awesome y'all think i am
-Anjii Bryers
