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

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jojo@tranquil

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Hi everyone,
I am just trying to right up a contract of employment for a part time therapist, obviously I want her in the salon at least 15mins prior to her 1st appointment and at the end of the day to clear up,should I be paying this time ? I did look at a thread which was a while back and people seemed to expect this time 'free' which seems a little unfair to me. What do other salon owners do ? Also I am employing her for 3x6hourly shifts do I need to put a break in ? Paid or unpaid ?
Help !!
 
From a therapist point of view. I would expect to be paid the whole time i was in the salon. If i wasnt being paid i should have the right to leave. you should add an extra half hour to each day for 15 mins in the morn and afternoon. I have always been paid a half hr break or had an hour unpaid. X

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The law says that people are entitled to a 20min break for 6 hours. If you google ' European working time directive' you'll find the full document.
It's very easy to read and sets out clear guidance.
 
In one of the salons I worked in, I officially started at nine but the owner complained bitterly If I wasnt in by, at the very latest, 8:20. I was also expected to remain for a similar time at the end.

Therefore, if I were to employ someone I would 1) be realistic about the time I expected them to be in and, 2) pay them for their whole time. I know that it Is generally regarded as an expected, unpaid part of the job, but I wouldn't like to do that to someone else :)
 
To be honest, in any job I've had (pubs, call centres etc) if I started at 9am, I was expected to start actual work at 9am. So in a call centre I was expected to be taking my first call at 9am. Not walking through the door.

I would say this was a normal work expectation.
 
I'd expect to be paid from the minute I was expected to be in the salon, in uniform. So if your first apt is 9am, and you want her there 15 mins before, I'd expect to be paid from 8.45 and you can expect her to be coming in beforehand to be ready and in the salon by 8.45.

Same if you're expecting her to clear up then yes, she clocks off when she leaves the salon to get her bag/whatever.
 
To be honest, in any job I've had (pubs, call centres etc) if I started at 9am, I was expected to start actual work at 9am. So in a call centre I was expected to be taking my first call at 9am. Not walking through the door.

I would say this was a normal work expectation.

I agree with this advice, although I dont think this should be translated as set up time = unpaid time.

For example, if the first client is bookd in for 9am, I would expect the therapist to start setting up from 8.30, but would certainly pay her from 8.30. In reality that means she would have to arrive at about 8.25 so that she is actually starting to set up from 8.30, not just walking through the door at that time.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies, I thought I should be paying for this time, seems unfair not too, but just wondered what the norm was.
Linzi your old boss sounds awful, I definitely want to keep my staff with me (as long as they are good ) I figure if they are paid reasonably well etc they will stay . X
 
In my current office job Im expected to be there ready for work at 8am so I try to get there anytime between 8.45 and 8.55 to give me time to start at 8, which I dont mind but at 4pm unless there is some electrical emergency Im off at approx 4.02 lol

hope that helps!
x
 
I wish I got paid for set up time and clearing away time!
 
I'm my contract it says that I have to be prepared for work to start at 9 so if I have waxing in its my duty to the client to ensure I'm ready for her at 9 ! I get paid from 9 but I don't stay behind to clean we all muck in and do that.
 
In my current office job Im expected to be there ready for work at 8am so I try to get there anytime between 8.45 and 8.55 to give me time to start at 8, which I dont mind but at 4pm unless there is some electrical emergency Im off at approx 4.02 lol

hope that helps!
x

Lol :) you misstyped the time :)

Jurate xx
 
As I said, I honestly don't think most places pay you for your start up time.
 
Personally I think that just because its generally accepted across the industry that set up time is unpaid, this doesnt make it right and as an employer I would want to look at the bigger picture i.e making sure I keep staff happy so they want to stay employed by me.

I always like to draw comparisons with other industries because I think it nicely highlights some very unfair areas in the beauty industry. A chef for example is paid to go in and prepare food during the day before he/she starts service during the evening. The chef cannot possibly work an evening service without having prepared during the day, so why should this prep work be any less valuable, and why would anyone expect this to be unpaid?
 
I pay from the first client, I just think that if I say get in at 9 to start first client at 9.30, they would come in at 9.25 and want to sit and eat their breakfast! There is never half hour of setting up to do. We tend to get things ready the night before. If there is waxing at 9 am we leave the wax on overnight.
I tend to feel that true career girls don't whine about a few minutes of time. We go home early if there is no clients in, so I don't make them work their "exact hours" to the minute.
What would posters do if you were in the middle of a haircut as the clock hit 5pm? Say "sorry my hours are till 5 and unless I get paid overtime I ain't carrying on"?
 
Lol :) you misstyped the time :)

Jurate xx

Ha Ha!!! yes I did - I love my job so much Im in a full 45 - 55 minutes LATE!!! lol

I ment 7.45/7.55

xx
 
I pay from the first client, I just think that if I say get in at 9 to start first client at 9.30, they would come in at 9.25 and want to sit and eat their breakfast! There is never half hour of setting up to do. We tend to get things ready the night before. If there is waxing at 9 am we leave the wax on overnight.
I tend to feel that true career girls don't whine about a few minutes of time. We go home early if there is no clients in, so I don't make them work their "exact hours" to the minute.
What would posters do if you were in the middle of a haircut as the clock hit 5pm? Say "sorry my hours are till 5 and unless I get paid overtime I ain't carrying on"?


I was using the half hour set up time just as an example. Obviously you dont employ people for more time than you need, but at the same time you would employ someone for the full time that they are needed and I think this should include set up time. Of course there is some give and take, and you wouldnt down tools at the stroke of 5pm just because thats your home time, but set up time is a)something you know in advance is needed and b) not an occasional occurrence but is required every day without exception so I think its unreasonable to expect this service to be provided without pay. Look at the flip side of this coin; if your employee wanted to leave to catch a bus at 4.55pm every single day but expected her salary paying till 5pm I imagine you would have an issue with that.

On an unrelated note can I ask how you stand in regards to leaving your wax turned on overnight? Is this something that people do? I would have thought that leaving an appliance like that on overnight would have implications re your buildings insurance.
 
I get paid from when I start work, so I arrive at 8.45 and start setting up at 8.50 id get paid from 8.50 until I left. Gives time to faff putting bags away/coats off.
I think this is only fair because if you are setting up you are still working. I actually left my last job as were were expected to be on the shop floor 15 mins early and stay up to half an hour after we'd finish to clean the shop unpaid, imagine how many hundreds that would be after a few years.
We never leave the wax on overnight, just make sure we're in a bit earlier if the first appt is a wax to put the wax pot on and pop the rollers in v hot water for few mins. I'm far too paranoid to leave it on :)
 
I tend to feel that true career girls don't whine about a few minutes of time.

I totally agree with this ;)
However there is sometimes a mixture of how career driven some individuals are.
I've found that the easier thing for me is to rota the staff member to arrive 15 mins before there shift and to stay 15 mins after to clean down.
I give them a choice to either get paid the extra 1/2 hr or they can add it to lunch break to take an hr paid.
I do expect them to be flexible with there shift and if they or client is running late, and the staff member has to stay behind then they can take the time back on the next avaliable shift.
This has worked for me.
Hope this helps xxx
 
Im not a beauty geek but i have never been employed and not been psid from the moment i start, clearly fir example in jobs if start at ten ok i would be there for ten to to take coats of etc but to set up in what ever job i have been i have always been paid im quite shocked really because is this not part of your job x

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