Voluntary work

[abigail5328]

Hello, I have just recently started a part-time level 1 hairdressing course at college and decided to ask the owner of my local hairdressing salon if she needed anyone to help out doing voluntary work to gain some work experience. She has offered me one day a week. I start Tuesday 15th October and I'm slightly nervous :| I understand that I will be washing hair, sweeping up, making cups of tea. What else should I expect? Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated By the way I'm 26 so I'm starting out a bit late in life.

 

[AngelxEyes]

Good luck, you'll be fine though Never to late to do something you really want to do I'm 25 and not worked in a salon yet still looking, so ya not the only 1 lol x

 

[CONNECT-2-HAIR]

Great idea, once you are in the salon you will start to enjoy yourself. Good luck:biggrin:

 

[virtues2011]

Be careful with this one.......this could cause no end of issues....it's different for school pupil work experience.

"So when you’re faced with unpaid work experience, you have three options: 1) you could do unpaid work experience, accepting that it’s technically illegal and keep quiet; 2) do the work experience and report the company to HMRC once you’ve finished (claiming back the money you’re owed retrospectively); or 3) you could report the firm to HMRC straightaway"

 

[abigail5328]

Thank you AngelxEyes and CONNECT-2-HAIR for your kind words and enthusiasm

Virtues2011 - I wasn't aware that offering your services doing volunteer work was illegal. I have no wish to report them as I am on good terms with the owner and the people that work there as I have been going to the same salon for the last 5 years or more. I feel lucky to have been offered this chance at such an early stage of my career. I kind of feel like I've "got my foot in the door" as they say, so I do not want to mess this up. Thank you for your message however.

 

[virtues2011]

Thank you AngelxEyes and CONNECT-2-HAIR for your kind words and enthusiasm

Virtues2011 - I wasn't aware that offering your services doing volunteer work was illegal. I have no wish to report them as I am on good terms with the owner and the people that work there as I have been going to the same salon for the last 5 years or more. I feel lucky to have been offered this chance at such an early stage of my career. I kind of feel like I've "got my foot in the door" as they say, so I do not want to mess this up. Thank you for your message however.

Oh no don't take this the wrong way - I understand how hard it is to get your foot in the door so to speak and I know that providing your services for voluntary work to you is the best way, as you are keen to do this for experience. I will never look at it from your point of view only a business one. But what do you gain from it...sweeping up, making tea, coffee.... not much to do with hair services but that is not to say the owner wouldn't help you with this eventually, chances are if she is practicing she won't have time.

From a business point of view it is frowned upon from a big height, it is extortion and anyone with a little business acumen will know this. You will not be covered under her insurance as you are not an employee she will be in trouble for this if you burn a customer with coffee by accident. The only benefit for you is you can just up and leave, but then so can an employee! Although you wish to have experience would I be correct in thinking that you wouldn't be able to be employed there. My question to myself as the business owner would be "why impart with my knowledge to someone who will take my expertise away and start up on their own ten minutes away". I'm not here to tell you what you should or shouldn't be doing, I just know how wrong it actually is.

 

[abigail5328]

Oh no don't take this the wrong way - I understand how hard it is to get your foot in the door so to speak and I know that providing your services for voluntary work to you is the best way, as you are keen to do this for experience. I will never look at it from your point of view only a business one. But what do you gain from it...sweeping up, making tea, coffee.... not much to do with hair services but that is not to say the owner wouldn't help you with this eventually, chances are if she is practicing she won't have time.

From a business point of view it is frowned upon from a big height, it is extortion and anyone with a little business acumen will know this. You will not be covered under her insurance as you are not an employee she will be in trouble for this if you burn a customer with coffee by accident. The only benefit for you is you can just up and leave, but then so can an employee! Although you wish to have experience would I be correct in thinking that you wouldn't be able to be employed there. My question to myself as the business owner would be "why impart with my knowledge to someone who will take my expertise away and start up on their own ten minutes away". I'm not here to tell you what you should or shouldn't be doing, I just know how wrong it actually is.

Thank you for your reply, I understand what you are saying.

I could just wait until I'm qualified in 2 or 3 years and look for work in a salon that I will get paid for, and doing the things that I'm qualified for and not just sweeping up and making cups of tea, but most employers these days want someone who's already had some experience working in a salon.

I know there is not much to gain from sweeping up and making cups of tea, but I believe that you can learn a lot just by watching other stylists.

There is also the possibility of the chance that once I'm qualified I could be employed there, as at the moment there is only the owner and one other stylist that work there. And if not, at least I can add the experience to my CV for future jobs.

By doing some volunteer work the chances of getting a job at the end of it are higher than having no experience at all, that is the only way I can look at it right now.

And I will pray that I don't spill tea/coffee on a client.

 

[AcidPerm]

You commit no offence by offering your services for free. If you spill tea/coffee etc. I can't see how you could be held personally liable.

It is up to the Salon Owner to resolve any employment payment and insurance anomalies so I'd say go ahead if she's willing to have you and get as much out of the experience as possible.

 

[virtues2011]

You commit no offence by offering your services for free. If you spill tea/coffee etc. I can't see how you could be held personally liable.

It is up to the Salon Owner to resolve any employment payment and insurance anomalies so I'd say go ahead if she's willing to have you and get as much out of the experience as possible.

This was my point all along - the owner of the salon will be at fault with this, she will be making a profit from the any worker that is not on the payroll. It profits her salon! The chances of the owner adding Abigail to the books is pretty slim, she would have to pay the HMRC regardless if Abigail receives a wage. As Abigail potentially would not be on the payroll she will not be insured under liability insurance as she is not an employee....nothing Abigail has done wrong...it just circumstance...don't focus on the tea/coffee part so much...it was an example for the insurance...you could say that if Abigail fell on the wet salon floor and broke her leg, the salon owner probably would say "out you go - sorry about that" .....then if Abigail feels that strongly about it off to NO WIN NO FREE she will hobble! I understand the principle from Abigail's point of view but that is not where I am coming from.

 

[Penners]

This was my point all along - the owner of the salon will be at fault with this, she will be making a profit from the any worker that is not on the payroll. It profits her salon! The chances of the owner adding Abigail to the books is pretty slim, she would have to pay the HMRC regardless if Abigail receives a wage. As Abigail potentially would not be on the payroll she will not be insured under liability insurance as she is not an employee....nothing Abigail has done wrong...it just circumstance...don't focus on the tea/coffee part so much...it was an example for the insurance...you could say that if Abigail fell on the wet salon floor and broke her leg, the salon owner probably would say "out you go - sorry about that" .....then if Abigail feels that strongly about it off to NO WIN NO FREE she will hobble! I understand the principle from Abigail's point of view but that is not where I am coming from.

Virtues, have you had a bad experience? You sound very bitter. If the salon has insurance for employee's I expect she will be covered. Fastest way to lose an opportunity to gain relevant salon experience if you go in moaning about'rights' from the outset.

 

[kimi1101]

My insurance covers me to have people in on unpaid work experience - the college asks to see proof of this before I can have the girls work with me.

 

[virtues2011]

Virtues, have you had a bad experience? You sound very bitter. If the salon has insurance for employee's I expect she will be covered. Fastest way to lose an opportunity to gain relevant salon experience if you go in moaning about'rights' from the outset.

Hi Penners. No I'm too intelligent for that. ...you don't understand the script. If she is not on the payroll, she is not an employee so it's not a good thing to assume she will be covered. She probably won't be. I'm actually protecting Abigail with these comments. It's nothing to do with 'rights' just common sense and to be honest common sense isn't that common!

 

[virtues2011]

My insurance covers me to have people in on unpaid work experience - the college asks to see proof of this before I can have the girls work with me.

This is a good thing Kimi ....

 

[Penners]

Hi Penners. No I'm too intelligent for that. ...you don't understand the script. If she is not on the payroll, she is not an employee so it's not a good thing to assume she will be covered. She probably won't be. I'm actually protecting Abigail with these comments. It's nothing to do with 'rights' just common sense and to be honest common sense isn't that common!

Wow, if only I was as intelligent as you.

 

[AngelxEyes]

Hello, I have just recently started a part-time level 1 hairdressing course at college and decided to ask the owner of my local hairdressing salon if she needed anyone to help out doing voluntary work to gain some work experience. She has offered me one day a week. I start Tuesday 15th October and I'm slightly nervous :| I understand that I will be washing hair, sweeping up, making cups of tea. What else should I expect? Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated By the way I'm 26 so I'm starting out a bit late in life.

Come on girls don't put a downer on her first job in a salon, and it's hard to get in 1 when your first starting out, be it paid or unpaid she's nervous and just needed some advice.. Either way she's doin what she wants to do.. Well done Abigail on gettin a place in a salon let us know how you get on x

 

[Penners]

Come on girls don't put a downer on her first job in a salon, and it's hard to get in 1 when your first starting out, be it paid or unpaid she's nervous and just needed some advice.. Either way she's doin what she wants to do.. Well done Abigail on gettin a place in a salon let us know how you get on x

'Girls'? I think only one geek is being negative,i think its a great opportunity in a salon she knows and is known in, go for it :biggrin:

 

[ch-ela]

The salon where I rent my room are looking for a young person like this too. She asked at the local college and was told that they had no one suitable because they couldn't guarantee that the student wouldn't be rude or impolite to our clients. Makes you wonder what they are teaching them at college then!
Don't they have to have a placement in a salon to proceed with their training?
Abigail, what does your college advise?

 

[AngelxEyes]

'Girls'? I think only one geek is being negative,i think its a great opportunity in a salon she knows and is known in, go for it :biggrin:

Yeah I totally agree it is a great opportunity for her I need some of that kinda luck to come my way lol

 

[NiCshairstudio]

Abigail hunni, well done you for going out and getting a job be it unpaid or paid you are one of the few women every salon owner would want (one speaking here) it shows you are so happy and focused your not in it for the money but for the joy of it all. You will be doing teas coffees cleaning washing hair but they will guid you through, at college you will learn reception work, wash Blowdry setting and hair basics, be a sponge in the salon and watch everything! What they do, why, how, at what angles, conversations, from this you will gain so much self confidence that you will excel both in yourself, your work and college! Don't be put off by above!

Virtue..... Being a new salon last year when I called hmrc I asked them about the employment laws, as I'm on my own but when the time comes do I need to tell them the minute they start, before or whats the rules, I then asked about voluntry, the response was 'we don't need to know about voluntary staff as they do not class as an expense and no tax will need to be paid' nothing about it being apparently illegal.... Which it is not, the local job center asked if I would be willing to have people voluntary and they will send possible candidates up, I refused as I don't want every tom, d, and Harry turning up on my door asking for a job, only people who want one.

 

[vixxm]

Well done you.. your determination will be rewarded, there aren't many that are so keen as to offer voluntary, in 28 years of owning a salon I have only had one,its the best way to learn , to sit and watch in a salon environment,without feeling you need to keep busy and find jobs to earn your wages,If you were near me I would snap you up