Setting up time/clearing away time, paid or unpaid?

[persianista]

Mobiles clearly need to inform their clients that they require paying from the moment they leave the house, their setup time, packing up time and driving home time!

With intense competition for jobs, is it really wise to demand that an employer pays you to take your coat off and put your handbag away?

I get into the salon first, switch the wax pots on, and switch the radio on. Setup as such takes me two minutes. With good teamwork, we can go from bomb site salon to spick and span in 5 minutes at the close of play.

Quoting "the law" at employers in this climate is more likely to result in getting your p45 than an extra 15 minutes pay. It is salon etiquette to arrive before your client, and to be ready to commence work when your client arrives. If you are the type of person who will sit outside the salon till 8.59 so as to not give the salon more than one minute of your time "unpaid", then I would respectfully suggest that you are in the wrong job.
To be amazingly successful in hair or beauty you have to "give of yourself", be generous with your time and attention, and be mindful of salon etiquette at all times.

 

[jacquelineanna]

Mobiles clearly need to inform their clients that they require paying from the moment they leave the house, their setup time, packing up time and driving home time!

With intense competition for jobs, is it really wise to demand that an employer pays you to take your coat off and put your handbag away?

I get into the salon first, switch the wax pots on, and switch the radio on. Setup as such takes me two minutes. With good teamwork, we can go from bomb site salon to spick and span in 5 minutes at the close of play.

Quoting "the law" at employers in this climate is more likely to result in getting your p45 than an extra 15 minutes pay. It is salon etiquette to arrive before your client, and to be ready to commence work when your client arrives. If you are the type of person who will sit outside the salon till 8.59 so as to not give the salon more than one minute of your time "unpaid", then I would respectfully suggest that you are in the wrong job.
To be amazingly successful in hair or beauty you have to "give of yourself", be generous with your time and attention, and be mindful of salon etiquette at all times.

Well said Persianista!!!!

If you want to turn up for work one minute before your paid-for-start-time, expect someone else to set up your room for you, and someone to tidy-up after you at the end of the day, you might find that you actually have to end up working for yourself.

If I ever get stuck with this kind of employee I would not be offering any free treatments and would stick to the absolute letter of the law.

That is one good reason why I employ family members - you can trust them and you work as a team.

I would do everything in my power to make an employee's life pleasant but attitudes like this just tick me off.

Just saying :wink2: ... sorry but this expression makes me laugh!!!

Peace and respect.

xx

 

[happyfeet]

Interesting thread geeks!

I work for myself so cant comment in relation to what i do now, other than the fact, with a slightly different spin, when i work out of the cabin i rent i turn up 15 mins early to set and the same at the end but only get charged rent from when my client arrives and leaves.

However ive also worked in retail and in childcare where upon i got in 15 mins early to set up to be on the shop floor at 9 or accept children in the nursery at 8 and was never paid. Personally never had a problem with this as its part of the job. Yes personally if i was expected to be in more than 15 mins ie 30 mins yes i do think it should be paid. 15 mins gave me time to not only set up, get my bag etc sorted, plan for the day ahead and in the right mind set to tackle the day iykwim, so never had a problem with it being unpaid despite the fact we were never allowed home early etc etc.

Id say 15 mins unpaid is quite normal to be honest.

X x x

 

[xxlouiseshanexx]

I am ALWAYS in early for work, today I started at 9am and I was in at 8.20 because I wanted to make sure that the wax was on for my 9am client and we had to do a lot of room swapping so needed to set the rooms up for the rest of the day, and I do not get paid for this, could you imagine if my client turned up and the wax was still hard!
As a employee I have never minded coming in early for work, as has been previously mentioned if we have no clients at the end of the day, we can go home earlier.

When I managed a spa, I always had a girl who would turn up at 9am on the dot for her 9am start and walk through the reception when her first client was in her robe waiting to be taken down, it was so unprofessional and really annoying !! X
I absolutey

 

[CazBeautica]

When i was working for a big skincare company for years we used to work from 9 til 5.30. Over the years rules have changed regarding set up and cleaning time at the end. It used to be we were paid from 8.50 to be in and set up for our first client at 9am. Then we used to get 10 mins at the end of the day to tidy up so the last treatment used to finish at 5.20.

We were in a department store so had to cash up as well and paid til 5.40. I believe theyve changed it to 30 mins from 9am to set up, so first client at 9.30 then a client til 5.30pm on the dot. But we were always contracted to 8.50 start and 5.40 finish. I think it looks so unprofessional to walk in when your first clients waiting already.

 

[MrsHBeauty]

Mobiles clearly need to inform their clients that they require paying from the moment they leave the house, their setup time, packing up time and driving home time!

With intense competition for jobs, is it really wise to demand that an employer pays you to take your coat off and put your handbag away?

I get into the salon first, switch the wax pots on, and switch the radio on. Setup as such takes me two minutes. With good teamwork, we can go from bomb site salon to spick and span in 5 minutes at the close of play.

Quoting "the law" at employers in this climate is more likely to result in getting your p45 than an extra 15 minutes pay. It is salon etiquette to arrive before your client, and to be ready to commence work when your client arrives. If you are the type of person who will sit outside the salon till 8.59 so as to not give the salon more than one minute of your time "unpaid", then I would respectfully suggest that you are in the wrong job.
To be amazingly successful in hair or beauty you have to "give of yourself", be generous with your time and attention, and be mindful of salon etiquette at all times.

Well said!

This is exactly the attitude I have. Having worked for a family business my whole working life, that is exactly how we go about things. My therapist who works for me is brilliant and works to the same thoughts aswell.

 

[lea2721]

No one wants to do anything illegal by asking that employees turn up before their clients and not have their workstation ready, which would then mean wasting 5-10 mins if their clients appointment getting the correct products and equipment or towels or disposables ready.....which then means their clients treatment time is cut short, which could lead to unhappy clients, which also means your therapist is late for their next client and then the next client and 9 times out of 10 the main reason we are staying late in my salon is because my therapists are slow at setting or clearing up their own work stations at the end of the day........and then are expected to get paid for that??!!!! I don't think so!!!
Employees don't mind how much time it takes getting their own freebies done either!!! Funny that isn't it?!

But its illeagal simple as the above poster stated

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek

 

[jacquelineanna]

But its illeagal simple as the above poster stated

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek

In this free country of ours employees are entitled to resign from any salon or workplace where they feel they are being exploited, or being asked to partake in any illegal process.

This may include coming in 15 minutes early or going home 15 minutes late in order to set up and clear away after themselves.

Simple.

 

[persianista]

Just worked out, 15 mins at min wage is £1.55. Would you really rather risk the sack, or ridicule for £1.55?

 

[Beautygirl1977]

If they are paid hourly then they need to be paid. If they are on a yearly salary then that's different. It depends what it says in their contracts.

 

[AcidPerm]

Just worked out, 15 mins at min wage is £1.55. Would you really rather risk the sack, or ridicule for £1.55?

So Salon Owners who are paying their staff minimum wage seriously resent paying an additional £1.55 to perform legitimate work?

No wonder the hair/beauty industry has such a poor reputation.

I think it's utterly shameful!

 

[lucymayclegg]

I used to work for a waxing company, we would have clients in for ten so we would have to be in for 9:45 but the wax pots were always left on. We would have a mare otherwise (happened once before). The timing was very strict! A Brazilian for instance was booked in for ten, including her getting changed and you doing the wax AND consultation plus her faffing around checking herself out in the full length mirror etc. it should take 20 mins but your next client had to be on the bed for 10:20 :/ and you would be back to back til 3 when you finished and then you have to spend 30mins cleaning or if you worked til 8 you would still have to spend time cleaning then have lunch (you would end up with roughly 45mins) then work the same 4-8 then stay 30mins after unpaid!! Also if any of your clients were late you would still have to do it. It's a struggle when they were ten minutes late but they could be an hour late and you would have to do it still! Making yourself late keeping your next client waiting!! Making you leave late! Makes no sense! Also a full leg wax was 30min a full leg and bikini is 30 min :s the toilet was outside the building too so you could never go for a wee really which is just wrong!

Needless to say I am the fastest waxer I know lol. I enjoyed working there to be honest but it was so wrong the way we were treated. No one lasted more than 9months to a year.

I don't mind coming in 15 minutes early it's he career I chose and I would rather do that than push paper all day. But no way am I stating behind to clean for 30 mins lol.

Brazilian waxing company in Manchester is the best place to get a wax. But the absolute worst place you could ever work. I wouldn't advise it lol. X

 

[persianista]

So Salon Owners who are paying their staff minimum wage seriously resent paying an additional £1.55 to perform legitimate work?

No wonder the hair/beauty industry has such a poor reputation.

I think it's utterly shameful!

I would happily pay £1.55 for my staff to be in, coats off, tea drunk, and ready to commence setting up at 8.45 for their first client at 9.
However they would fly in the door at 8.45, stick the kettle on, have a fag, one of them would stick the waxpots on while a junior was sent out to get breakfasts. I aint paying for that. Reality is always somewhat different to the theory.
Our rule is if you start clients at 9, you are in and ready to start by 9. If you wanna drink tea etc, get in earlier. We don't keep clients waiting.
Quite honestly, I wouldnt employ anyone who begrudged 15 minutes of time. My staff get free hair and beauty, they leave early when there are no clients, they get products at cost, free legal helplines, free training, paid far more than min wage, a cracking comission system,taken out twice a year, marketing backup, and an extremely well equipped salon. They aint treated bad.
If one of them said they wanted 5 mions extra pay to be in at 5 to 9 rather than 9, I would not employ such a person.

 

[SaraC]

Personally, I think if people are complaining about being in 15 mins before their first client, and making sure their stations/rooms etc are tidy before they leave work....they're not in the right profession. It's just part of the job! just my opinion. And as others have said, there are plenty of perks which make up for it

 

[Beautygirl1977]

If I had employees I would either have them on a hourly contract e.g. They get paid hours they work. Basic 37.5 and anything over is overtime or a yearly salary (paid monthly). Like someone said bottom line is it's illegal otherwise. Everyone can have an opinion about it but it's fact.

 

[persianista]

What puzzles me is what is all this setting up you all do? We switch the waxpots on, turn on the radio and the lights. Thats all.
Clearing up means washing up, (which the junior does while we do our last clients), sweeping through which is done while cashing up is done. Switch off the wax and the lights, and we are out the door. 5 mins tops.
Beauty room floors are swept and washed by the juniors when the therapists are on their lunch. General cleaning is done during quiet spells.

As a matter of interest, if you finish early and get to go home, do you expect that pay to be deducted? I currently pay in full regardless of if we finish early, so if I was to pay for them to come in at 5 to 9, is it then acceptable to deduct pay from the moment we leave the salon if we are early?

 

[Essential Bliss]

I turn up at 8.45 for my first client at 9,no I don't get paid...but I'd much rather be there ready for my client instead of rushing around trying to get ready and looking unprofessional!
I've never expected to be paid for this,and I try to get myself organised between treatments so I'm not doing loads at the end of the day. And if my last client cancels or I'm finished before the end of my shift I'm able to leave early if It's less than 45minutes til the end of my day.
I think this is perfectly acceptable and if your passionate enough about your job,surly you're willing to give up an extra 20 minutes of your day to make sure your organised and ready for your clients to give a high standard treatment x

Essential Bliss Beauty Therapy

 

[jacqueline]

I find it incredulous that anyone would want paying extra for ensuring they are at work on time, prepped and ready for the clients coming in when the doors open.

For me it's about self discipline and making sure you are professional and presenting yourself/salon in the best possible way from the get go each day?

Maybe it is a generation thing who knows?

 

[TMH]

It's funny how it's mostly the salon owners on this thread who are bulking at paying extra for setting up etc. £1.55 may not sound much when you're getting decent money coming in but when you are only getting minimum wage or rubbish money, then all those £1.55's add up. I certainly don't work for nothing!

I was always early for work, just because I hated being late but one employer I worked for certainly took the pee! On our late night, we were supposed to finish at 8pm but it almost certainly used to run over until 10pm and later! No extra money, just a thankyou for working hard :/ She used to go back to her nice 4 bed detached house and I used to go back to my one bed little flat lol, but I learnt my lesson after I left, if I worked over then I expected to get paid for it and If the salon shut at 5.30, then I made sure I'd finish my last client at 5.10 so I could help with the clearing up

 

[evangelinegrace]

Mobiles clearly need to inform their clients that they require paying from the moment they leave the house, their setup time, packing up time and driving home time!

Actually, they do.

I'd certainly expect to be paid for the drive time - my usual rate plus car expenses and devaluation. This is implemented in a call out charge or incorporated into the cost of the services.

Just like salons take overheads and expenses into account when setting prices, so do mobile therapists.