spa business practices

[mommyof1]

These are from a recent "upscale" spa interview:

-You would be considered an employee in all aspects (except they couldn't afford to take your taxes out so you would be paid as an independent contractor)

-meaning you would be expected to be at the spa 9-6 on your scheduled day, working the front desk, cleaning toilets, etc. for no pay when you didn't have scheduled clients (no hourly pay or anything when you didn't have a client)

-pay was 60% to therapist, 40% to spa (Based on $55 one hour massage)

-we provided our own table and massage chair

-they would provide linens (even though all the ones i saw had stains or bleach spots), oils, etc.

-there were certain things in the room we couldn't move because they were covering holes in the wall with wires poking out

-we HAD to pay our portion of all advertising they did

-we would bring in snacks and drinks every day to provide for the clients

-found out after i met with them they are hanging by a thread financially

There were way too many questionable things for me in this situation for me to take this on. I will instead focus on my home practice!

 

[Pumpkin DBAB]

spa business practices

Wow! That is extreme. At first when I started reading, I thought, Okay, well, it sucks, but kinda normal (unfortunately).

But the following things are totally unnacceptable:

-we HAD to pay our portion of all advertising they did

-we would bring in snacks and drinks every day to provide for the clients

-found out after i met with them they are hanging by a thread financially

There were way too many questionable things for me in this situation for me to take this on. I will instead focus on my home practice!

if you are in fact an independant contractor, you do your own advertising. Contributing to theirs is silly, especially when they seem so financially....umm....slow.

Of course, you could bring in anything for your client, but to be required to do is ridiculous.

The rest is not nice, but usually when a business is doing their business, they do it how they want to. I have put up with a lot of stuff that spas want to do, even if I don't agree with it. However, as soon as I'd have to CONTRIBUTE to it, I'd be DONE.

Good luck focusing on your own practice!

 

[CountryGirl<3]

"upscale"? I'm not even getting a vision of "upscale" with what was said.

 

[wiser]

I know. That's why upscale was in quotes. They kept saying how upscale they were about 50 times.

The employee/contractor status really bothered me. It was like they were trying to take the best characteristics of both for their benefit, which is the opposite for the employees. They couldn't flat out tell me what we would be classified as.

 

[Sharry510]

Hehe

I might visit that IRS link (I don't have it, but I'm sure it's not hard to find ) that breaks down what makes an IC an IC and what makes an employee an employee and then compares the two. It's not long, if I recall. I might print it out and bring it with me to all interviews in a discreet folder or something and if anyone tried to pull a fast one like that I'd take it out and show it to them. Sure, I wouldn't get any job offers that way, but chances are it wouldn't be much of a loss to me, and it might make some of those places (who are operating downright illegally by doing/requiring these things) think twice about the shenanigans they're pulling.

Just my thoughts in case anyone's feeling feisty

Hugs,
~Jyoti