Hi All

Opening up my own salon 1st week in November. I am taking a girl on, on a self emplyed basis 60/40 split.

I am getting a new uniform and would like her to wear the same would i have to buy her uniform or would she?

Also would i pay for her training or should she do this herself, she is trained in all the stuff she needs for now, however would she cover any additional training or would i?

I am going to get some terms and conditions made up so we both know where we stand. Any other advice or points would be really appreciated.

If she is self employed then it should really be her choice what uniform she wears but I suppose if you really want her to wear yours and she is happy to do so then I think you should pay for it.

With regards to training then again as she is self employed this is all her responsibility.

I have read in quite a few articles about salon owners insisting on certain things (like uniforms, products used, treatment prices etc) that technically they can't really do as the therapist is not an employee.

I did say i would buy her uniform then i had a wee think about it and thought maybe she should, wasn't too sure.

This might sound really silly but would i need to buy her two, one as an extra or could i just tell her if she wanted another she would need to buy it?? They are so expensive and if she left it would kind of go to waste unless someone else was the same size as her!

i think its all open for negotiation - but get a written agreement drawn up between you both.

I agree with this. She will be self employed and not an employee of yours, however, she will be a contractor and undertaking work on your behalf and on your clients. I would say it would be reasonable to have a say about conduct, branding etc. I think an agreement or something similar would be an excellent idea but I would ensure you get it down on paper.

Of course as self employed they have the right to work when they want etc., however, from your business point of view, it depends on how much of a professional image you want to project. Do you want them turning up and going when they want, do you want them rolling in in a pair of jeans if they want? No, if they didn't agree to some kind of contract then I'm afraid I wouldn't employ them on a self employed basis.

I think some king of pro forma contractor questionnaire to confirm these points is good. That way they can be approved contractors for you..

As she would be self employed she decides on the conditions she works - times she works, what she wears, product she uses etc.

Can I ask - why are you having her as self employed and not employed?

I am taking her on, on a self-employed basis, because, like i said its a new business and i don't know how busy i will be and don't want to have to pay another wage until i know i can afford too.

Thanks Gilly

And are the Inland Revenue happy with this?

I know that the IR are cracking down on salons that have staff as self employed when they should be employed. I understand that you dont know how busy you are going to be and it can be risky in taking staff on but just be careful on the working conditions you specify in any document as any self employed people should be able to stipulate what hours they work, when the work, the products they use (which they should supply their own) etc, etc.

HM Revenue & Customs: Employment status

This is true... if someone works as self employed but works regular hours, at the same place for the same person for an excessive period of time, they consider that that person should be employed and not self employed. But I also know it's not as black and white as it sounds. I would get in touch with a reputable accountant and seek some further advice. If this is going to be a short term thing until you know your workload/requirements then it's quite possible that this won't be an issue.

My ex was an IT programmer who had his own business (self employed/director) and he worked regular hours 9.00 - 5.00 doing the same work, at the same place for quite some time with no problem. His accountant advised him on what was reasonable. He was able to do this as it was to cover a specific period of uncertainty in the company.

Best seek some professional advice on this one hun

Hi

I too have my staff on self employed 40/60 and no Its not a problem with IR. I Also have guidelines hours uniforms products, If you are a new business Its a safer bet for staff not to be employed, and of course you can't predicit how your business will be for some time.
If you start to employe and havnt yet predicited how the salon Is going It can be very costly. Ie: sick pay, holidays etc, your accountant should advice you to do this! oh and If you speak with the IR they are more than helpfull about self employed!!!

good luck hun with It
ps my girls buy there own, and to be honest It only benifits them In the long run, saves them a fortune on clothes.


TT