Small business owner guarantees employees pay out of own pocket despite likely business shutdown

A bee’s knees boss has shown how it’s done by offering pay to her employees while encouraging them to look for work elsewhere as coronavirus all but shuts down business.

Physi kids owner Kayleen Tolley with her son Jai.

A HERO boss has come to the fore amid the coronavirus doom and gloom.

North Lakes resident Sarah Phegan had only praise for her employer and Physi kids owner Kayleen Tolley who guaranteed her staff of nine two-thirds of their usual pay despite a severe downturn in business.

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With all non-essential services under pressure to shut Physi kids, which runs sports programs in child care centres and schools across the Brisbane area, may follow suit.

“What she has done is extraordinary,” Ms Phegan said.

“In the weeks leading up to this it has been so stressful worrying about how we were going to pay the bills.

“She was willing to take money out of her own pocket to keep us afloat.

“She is encouraging us to look for other work because we don’t know when this will be over and she will pay us even though we are looking for work elsewhere.

“Just knowing that I was going to get a fraction of my usual pay was a weight off my shoulders.

“And she is doing it because she is just a wonderful person who also volunteers weekly.

“The staff have nothing but gratitude for her.”

Ms Tolley may now use newly announced government grants to help save her business but said she offered the pay without hesitation.

Physi kids employees and family have only praise for generous business owner Kayleen Tolley.

“It didn’t even cross my mind not to support them,” she said.

“I knew they were going to panic and when my staff are upset or not happy with the job I can’t sleep at night.

“I have always been that way – if they are happy I am happy.

“I know them all personally; we are a very small business with nine permanent staff who are paid casually and when there is no work there is no pay.

“But classes, normally, are rarely cancelled.

“Most of my staff have been with me for years and even when they leave to try other things or have children they come back.

“So it is really different to other workplaces where they don’t really get to know their employees or they don’t stick around for long.”

Ms Tolley said she was able to offer the support after her business, which has traded since 1997, started turning a profit for the first time three years ago.

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“At least what I have been able to do until the government funding rolls out is satisfy my staff and calm them down and let them feel secure and stable, so at least for the last two weeks they have known that they will be able to get some kind of income.

“So if the government now steps up then that’s brilliant.”