Hourly employee changes job to find better working environment
Money doesn’t always equal happiness.
Preston Calibaba, 18, was recently named assistant manager at Jersey City Canada in Southcentre Mall.
Calibaba worked at Sport Chek before being employed at Jersey City. When he left the large sport retailer he had to take a pay cut.
“I got paid $10.25 two years ago at Sport Chek,” Calibaba said. “When I came here, I was put on minimum wage, and didn’t start to earn $10.25 until a month ago.”

For Preston Calibaba, a higher hourly wage wasn’t worth working with people he didn’t like. He took a pay cut for a better working environment.
Photo by: Pol NikulinCalibaba said he left Sport Chek because of it being a “volatile” workplace, where he had trouble dealing with some of other employees. He added that he took the Jersey City job because he wanted to start over with new people, but said he believes that since jumping ship, he could be doing more.
“I think I am a bit undercompensated,” he said. “I feel like when I put out a lot of work into the company, [I deserve] not the pay, but the respect. There is no appreciation for it.”
Calibaba has been working the assistant manager post for over a month now, but is still an hourly worker, as the company starts putting employees on salary once they become store managers. Calibaba works 40 hours a week but hopes the position will give him a name in the company.
“The assistant manager position is a position of authority and management, that way I can hold some better respect within the company.”
pnikulin@cjournal.ca
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