Is this normal within a salon and how to change it?

[BettyBaa1994]

I have only ever worked in spas or for myself and have started working with a salon.

Since the day I have started I have NEVER finished on time as my boss expects me to close up and will often leave 30-40 minutes after closing. I am not paid for this but am further expected to come in 10 minutes early to work. In all I am expected to work for an hour later on most days for no extra pay.

In regards to training, my boss is charging me for training if I leave before a year. This I know is the norm but when the training is free or 'in house' and I am not getting paid for it, can the training still be charged. If yes can I refuse to go on training?

 

[AcidPerm]

Ask a friendly lawyer to check your contract.

Some of the terms about repaying training costs might not be enforceable anyway, especially as you're not getting paid correctly.

If your boss wants you to start early or finish late, you are entitled to be paid for it. However, a lot of staff let it slide if there are other arrangements that suit them, for instance, free or discounted treatments etc.

 

[BettyBaa1994]

Ask a friendly lawyer to check your contract.

Some of the terms about repaying training costs might not be enforceable anyway, especially as you're not getting paid correctly.

If your boss wants you to start early or finish late, you are entitled to be paid for it. However, a lot of staff let it slide if there are other arrangements that suit them, for instance, free or discounted treatments etc.

Thanks that really helped and was very informative.

 

[libbylou]

I think all salons expect you to be work ready and at your work station at start time, so if your first client is 9.00am then at 9.00am you should be ready to go, just like working in a supermarket etc. The only reason i can see for staying late unpaid is if you yourself over run on time, but if not then you should be paid, what are your timings salons normally are less compared to a spa, but if you finished your last client at say 6.00pm then i would pay you until 6.00pm but i would expect your work station to be clean and tidy when you leave, that is just common decency and normal working practice. With my staff all training costs must be repaid if staff leave within 12 months , regardless if training was administered inhouse or not but all staff receive their certificates when any course is completed we just have the photo copies.

 

[rubywoo]

All my staff are paid to start work fifteen minutes prior to opening and fifteen minutes after closing, during this time they are expected to prep and clean their rooms. I would never expect anyone to provide my business with their time without being paid for it. Out of house training can be expensive so I do recoup the cost of the course if you leave within 12 months of the course therapists are also paid their wages whilst on the training course. For apprentices I have one morning a month for detailed treatment training, A&P etc as college standards these days provide therapists with only the most basic of training (I won't start on that crazy rant), these mornings are unpaid, their usual pay is the minimum wage for their age and not the apprentice rate.

I personally think if someone expects you to work for them for nothing I would have a serious trust issue with their moral fibre.

 

[squidgernetball]

I agree with rubywoo. I think that its different in a shop where you get in 5 minutes early to take your coat off and get on the shop floor, this is work and as such you should be paid for it.

My staff are usually in about an hour before the first client. Wax pots go on, sheets are changed, emails are answered, calls are replied to, washes are put on, nail stations are readied, heating is put on and everywhere is checked over for the first client of the day. To be fair, at the end of the day, particularly late night which are Wednesday Thursday and Friday, we turn off and leave, so mornings are when jobs get done. I would never expect anyone to do this because they love me or their job so much. They do it for money!

Vic x

 

[BettyBaa1994]

Thanks everyone for the responses, I just wanted to check as I thought it was a bit unusual that I was supposed to stay and lock up and stay if my boss was working with a client overtime. I will probably discuss with her this issue as I really don't want this happening forever.

I will be looking into the contract in regards to training and discuss this with her.

 

[libbylou]

My late nights can run into 11:00pm we always leave work stations work ready ( we have a washing machine and dryer on site) Cleanliness is a massive factor in our salon and a therapist leaving a room not work ready for the next appointment is disgusting to say the least. All bins etc are emptied at the end of every treatment so the client enjoys every treatment in clinically clean surroundings . Your last client should experience your first clients experience of your cleanliness and that should be your standard for the whole day.

 

[squidgernetball]

My late nights can run into 11:00pm we always leave work stations work ready ( we have a washing machine and dryer on site) Cleanliness is a massive factor in our salon and a therapist leaving a room not work ready for the next appointment is disgusting to say the least. All bins etc are emptied at the end of every treatment so the client enjoys every treatment in clinically clean surroundings . Your last client should experience your first clients experience of your cleanliness and that should be your standard for the whole day.

That's great but the question was about whether or not you pay your staff to do it or expect them to do it in their own time.

Vic x

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[libbylou]

All my staff are expected to do it within work time for which they are paid , no room should be left untidy after any member of staff no matter what the treatment or time of day , when a staff member leaves the treatment room it should be work ready for the next client and therapist , all hours worked should be paid but then my wax pots etc are operated by timers and all work stations/rooms are kept clean through out the day so need for an hour early start but each to their own i prefer to keep the salon clean through out the working day so no need for early morning staff cleaning xx

 

[xXjazXx]

You empty bins after every treatment? I can totally understand making sure the room is clean and tidy before every client but do you not waste a lot of time changing a bin with s cotton pad and wax strip in?!

 

[squidgernetball]

All my staff are expected to do it within work time for which they are paid , no room should be left untidy after any member of staff no matter what the treatment or time of day , when a staff member leaves the treatment room it should be work ready for the next client and therapist , all hours worked should be paid but then my wax pots etc are operated by timers and all work stations/rooms are kept clean through out the day so need for an hour early start but each to their own i prefer to keep the salon clean through out the working day so no need for early morning staff cleaning xx

Wow that sounds like a major criticism of my working practices!

For the record, each room is clean and ready to use all day every day except on late nights when we may go home without all being perfect. It can be pretty hard to hoover and mop when clients are in the salon and tidying make up displays and retail units with a full column isn't that easy but each to his own!

Vic x

 

[pinkcouture]

Vic I think from your previous posts most of us know that you run a successful business with happy staff and clients. Does it matter if the room is cleaned after the last client or before the first? Either way it is ready for the next treatment so whats the problem with doing it the next morning? I also found the post quite rude and insulting.

 

[squidgernetball]

Lol maybe the mice would be offended!

Vic x

 

[Diamondgirl]

My late nights can run into 11:00pm we always leave work stations work ready ( we have a washing machine and dryer on site) Cleanliness is a massive factor in our salon and a therapist leaving a room not work ready for the next appointment is disgusting to say the least. All bins etc are emptied at the end of every treatment so the client enjoys every treatment in clinically clean surroundings . Your last client should experience your first clients experience of your cleanliness and that should be your standard for the whole day.

I understand about keeping the working environment clean and tidy but emptying the bins after every treatment ...Really?! ....surely a client isn't going to look in a bin and think that it's unhygienic or a dirty environment if the bins got a few cotton pads or wax strips in it I like clients to see a full bin shows I'm busy lol ....if my clients were that pretentious I don't think I'd want them as clients tbh....

I would clean the room after the last client so it's ready for the next morning but that's only because my mornings are usually disastrous something always goes wrong so then I'm not panicking but I don't think it's 'disgusting' as you put it for a room to be left till morning there's no hard and fast rule it's a personal preference ....thank the Lord I work for myself lol

 

[ch-ela]

I empty bins before every client. I have a small bin at the side of my couch that I use, with tie handle bags, so at the end of the treatment, I tie it up and it goes in the large bin outside. I would be put off if there were wax strips on show from the previous client, or anything for that matter. It takes 30 seconds to change it.
I like to have my room and my nail desk tidy and clean before I leave. My desk is in the window, so its an advert for my work, I think. I always like to look into salons shop windows if I'm out and about and it's quite surprising what you can see, from dirty coffee mugs to half full bins. It's not very inviting.

 

[squidgernetball]

This is moving away from the original topic of whether a member of staff should be paid to set up at the beginning of the day/clear up at the end of the day to become 'who empties their bins the most'.

To salon owners:
If you have a staff member who's hours are 9-6 but they squeezed in an eyebrow tidy and lip wax as it was the end of the day so didn't finished till 6.30 because of emptying bins and tidying up, do you pay them? If they're running late and finish at 6.10, do you pay them? In both cases I do. Does everyone else?

According to the op the answer is no, but wonder what fellow geeks do.

Vic x

 

[ch-ela]

BettyBaa, what is it that you are doing that takes 30-40 mins after closing? Have I misunderstood? Are you there whilst your boss is also there? Are you the salon manager?

 

[Lauren121]

The last salon I was in we had to do the usual mop sweep clean and put towels out to dry before we went home so sometimes we left after our finish time but then there where days when sometimes we ended up going home 2 hours early so it worked itself out I'm the end. There where 3 of us there so none of us went until what needed to be done was done as working together made it quicker for us all. Our bosses took all this into consideration and at Christmas and we always got good bonuses. Every salon is different in wether they pay you for this or repay you in a different way like time back extra money say every couple of months free services. But like everyone else said sit down with your boss and tell her whats worrying you she might just be taking it for granted that you will stay without saying something

 

[BettyBaa1994]

BettyBaa, what is it that you are doing that takes 30-40 mins after closing? Have I misunderstood? Are you there whilst your boss is also there? Are you the salon manager?

No I am not a salon manager. She expects everyone to stay whilst she locks up. So I cannot just leave, if she takes on say a wax on at like 5.45 she may not have the client leave till 6.10 then ultimately you need to clean the room then she locks up. Music and shutters are not allowed to go down until the last client leaves.