Paying Therapists For Dead Hours?

[shellbert]

Hi.
I need your advice and opinions please.

Within the past 2 months I have had to reduce my Therapists hours down to 4 days a week due to us being really quiet.
Again we have had a quiet january as well as our Hotel being closed for a month for refurbishments we have lost out on any business there.
Some weeks the timeshare residents simply dont want treatments esp if they are quite old. (we're on the top floor of a fitness club)
I advertise heavily in the club for local business but we only have afew regulars who arent really big spenders. I had an open evening last month where we had a good turnout but very little was spent on retial or on treatments.
I dont really want to de-moralise the Therapists by cutting their hours even more or I could lose them. They really are a good team. But I was thinkin of an option where if for example they are quiet for more than say 4 hours on any particular day, I can ask them to come into work later or they go home early. Obviously this would be without pay, but as soon as business gets busy again they can stay at work the full day. Yesterday my Therapist had no-one in till 4.00pm. There is only so much training and cleaning they can do?
Is this completely out of order or can you see it from a Business owners point of view?
There are 3 Therapists I have to keep busy and its hard work in this financial climate at the moment.
What do think?

Michelle

 

[RedAdmiral]

After laying the same idea out yesterday to my girl she decided to leave. I'm now on my own which I'm not sure is good or bad as like you I havent had an app since the morning and not due another til 3.30 and on the flip side I reguarly service 2 clients at the same time due to the pedi chairs and have lost a manicurist.

Cant advise as yes for my girl there was only so much cleaning she could do

 

[AndyP]

Not sure on the legalities of it without it being written into a contract but i know this is how the car industry actually works. I have a friend who works for Land Rover and over Christmas you will have heard they have had an extra fortnights holiday. However this holiday will have to be made up for in unpaid overtime. The way it works is that they have similar to a bank account for their hours, so if they work an extra hr one week, they won't get paid but they put into their 'account' and at some point get it back -they end up doing whole shifts this way and then getting similar to the two weeks off at Christmas. Maybe speak to ACAS to see how you could approach it.

 

[kellyk]

Hi.
I need your advice and opinions please.

Within the past 2 months I have had to reduce my Therapists hours down to 4 days a week due to us being really quiet.
Again we have had a quiet january as well as our Hotel being closed for a month for refurbishments we have lost out on any business there.
Some weeks the timeshare residents simply dont want treatments esp if they are quite old. (we're on the top floor of a fitness club)
I advertise heavily in the club for local business but we only have afew regulars who arent really big spenders. I had an open evening last month where we had a good turnout but very little was spent on retial or on treatments.
I dont really want to de-moralise the Therapists by cutting their hours even more or I could lose them. They really are a good team. But I was thinkin of an option where if for example they are quiet for more than say 4 hours on any particular day, I can ask them to come into work later or they go home early. Obviously this would be without pay, but as soon as business gets busy again they can stay at work the full day. Yesterday my Therapist had no-one in till 4.00pm. There is only so much training and cleaning they can do?
Is this completely out of order or can you see it from a Business owners point of view?
There are 3 Therapists I have to keep busy and its hard work in this financial climate at the moment.
What do think?

Michelle

The hotel where i work as had the same problem, with me and another therapist, we was both being told not to turn up if nothing come in, but for me it was costing me in childcare cost for not going and my hours were falling below 16 so i cut my hours to 4 and had to go back on benefits and the other girl ended up leaving! cant you get some flyers made with some good offers? tell them how things are and that we need to do everything we can to bring new trade in and get them posted them at local houses and businesses. Good luck :hug:

 

[essentia]

Hi - I think I would get your girls to go into the town and hand out flyers and get them chatting to general public. Get some great offers going and hopefully this will inject some enthusiasm into both staff and potential clients before more drastic measures. By getting them to do the promotion you will save on marketing costs - why use them as cleaners when you can make a saving on expensive advertising?

 

[Lynne Baker]

What a great idea, Essentia!

 

[RedAdmiral]

It is a good idea but................ My last job didnt pay for advertising at all and it was written into contracts that they must hit the streets with leaflets, brochures, offers. They all resented it and it made them feel worse! We we're a new business in a quiet shopping centre and going out didnt motivate them and a few left!

There is no right thing to do at the moment, just keep positive and upbeat. Also my gut is telling me that 3 therapist is ALOT to keep busy can you survive with 2?

 

[RoyalLass]

Short time working can be a very tricky subject and if not handled correctly, it is a situation where employee's can claim that the employers actions amounted to dismissal (constructive or otherwise). There is also something called a guarantee payment of £20.40 per day for any 5 days in a 3 month period where employers are obliged to pay under statute if they do not provide enough work for a whole day (or what she would normally be required to work).

It would really be worth you taking advice on this...ACAS or similar.

Of course, it sounds like your therapists are amenable, however, short term working is classed as 'high risk' for an employer, therefore it would be wise to get legal clarification.

hth.

 

[essentia]

It is a good idea but................ My last job didnt pay for advertising at all and it was written into contracts that they must hit the streets with leaflets, brochures, offers. They all resented it and it made them feel worse! We we're a new business in a quiet shopping centre and going out didnt motivate them and a few left!

There is no right thing to do at the moment, just keep positive and upbeat. Also my gut is telling me that 3 therapist is ALOT to keep busy can you survive with 2?

If it is an option then I think you have to sit them down and discuss it - this may be a temporary measure to secure their jobs. If I were a salon owner, I would not expect staff to do this all the time but I cannot see why not when the situation demands it. After all it is reasonable to expect them to attend promotion nights/events etc - it is the same thing really. They are going to feel just as demoralised when they have no jobs!!!:hug:

 

[shellbert]

Hi,
Thanks for your replies.
Yes I def will gain advice from acas and see where I/they stand and I will sit down with the girls and have a chat with them about the situation.
Business is so hit and miss at the moment, you can never tell how the week will turn out as we get alot of last minute bookings. But this week has been particularly quiet apart from today which has been busy. I am seriously thinking about how much longer I can keep 3 Therapists if it carries on like this, but on the flip side we do get requests for group bookings so its helpful having all the girls.
Yes I have spoken to them about going self employed but the only thing that concerns them is purchasing the facial products off me to be able to offer all the facials, so that idea didnt progress.
I'm going to give marketing a big push next week and hopefully once jan is out of the way things should get going again.

 

[AndyP]

why would purchasing product from you be an issue - ask them what it would take to make it happen. Sell them product at cost if it means you get to take a percentage of their income when self employed and they stay in a job - Take the view there is always more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Blue Rose]

Hi,
Thanks for your replies.
Yes I def will gain advice from acas and see where I/they stand and I will sit down with the girls and have a chat with them about the situation.
Business is so hit and miss at the moment, you can never tell how the week will turn out as we get alot of last minute bookings. But this week has been particularly quiet apart from today which has been busy. I am seriously thinking about how much longer I can keep 3 Therapists if it carries on like this, but on the flip side we do get requests for group bookings so its helpful having all the girls.
Yes I have spoken to them about going self employed but the only thing that concerns them is purchasing the facial products off me to be able to offer all the facials, so that idea didnt progress.
I'm going to give marketing a big push next week and hopefully once jan is out of the way things should get going again.

That's one way to get lots of money in through the door. Try & make a name for yourselves locally doing spa/ pamper parties.