Archive for Find a Massage Job

Working as an employee

June 29, 2007 Julie Onofrio Find a Massage Job

Working as a massage employee in a Spa or other clinic doing massage and other spa therapies is no different than if you work for yourself except that you are not assuming the expenses of the overhead.

You still have to put your best efforts into giving a great massage and doing everything you can do to get that client to come back again and/or send in all of their friends and family members.  You have the unique challenge of having to work with clients who are new to you which requires that you do your best to do an intake with them and learn as much about them as you can so that you can provide what they need.

One of the first things to figure out when you are looking for a job is what exactly do you want to be doing and where?  What kind of environment do you want to be in?  One where the owner/manager does everything and dictates how you do massage or one where you can participate in the business and help it to grow and flourish?

Many massage therapists go into a job in massage therapy thinking that they won’t have to do anything – just show up and work on clients and make $60 per hour.  Well that $60 an hour the massage schools said you would be making really only applies to massage therapists who set up their own business.  Most massage jobs pay between $15-$45 per hour dependind on the setting.  Massage Envy -the massage franchise – pays about $15 per hour.  Working in a medical setting or high end spa setting you could probably make more like $35-$45 per hour.

When you go for an interview for a job, you really want to interview them too to see if you really want to work there.

The spa industry is getting a bad reptutation for providing poor working conditions or at least according to the massage therapists side of things.  Low pay, competition for appointments, long hours, having to do other non-massage work, having too many clients and not enough time in between sessions or not having enough sessions.

I have also heard the other side from spa or clinic owners and have also experienced the frustrations of taking on people to just sublease office space.  There are many massage therapists just out there looking for a free ride and think that they won’t have to do anything in exchange.  Many do not take their jobs seriously and take the attitude of not wanting to do things they are asked to do.

So when you are thinking about going to work as a massage therapist start thinking about what you can do to help make the business a success (which means you will be a success).  What can you do to bring in clients rather than depending on the owners to get you clients?  What can you do to get clients to come back more?  Do you talk to people about the benefits of getting regular massage?  Do you hand them your own flyer or business card when they walk out?

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Contracts for Massage Therapists

May 18, 2007 Julie Onofrio Find a Massage Job

When you work for someone as a sub-contractor you are really self employed. Setting up an agreement with the ‘contractor’ or business owner requires that you know what you want for yourself and what type of environment you want to work in.

Many go into a situation without getting all of the details ironed out and it is cause for trouble down the line. It also helps you get clear about what it is that you want. The contract is where you get to ask for what you want and if you don’t get it where do you draw the line and still continue to work there (or not work there).

I have written about some of the things that you need to think about at www.thebodyworker.com

In general you want to know what will happen in each different situation. What happens when you leave? Who is responsible or the owner of the charts and the client information?

The real key to creating a contract is knowing what you value and honoring that by only taking a position that supports who you are. When you start compromising on this you will begin to feel resentful. I have seen it go as far as taking it out on clients.

Agreeing to a contract is really one of the first steps in setting up boundaries for yourself and your practice. Boundaries are what will allow you to take care of yourself first which is essential for preserving and maintaining your practice.

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Employee/Subcontractor – Are we being taken advatage of?

February 4, 2007 Julie Onofrio Find a Massage Job, News

Working out a contract with an employeer is usually a frustrating and confusing process.

There is also alot of confusion over whether the massage therapist should be an employee or sub-contractor.

Basically, what I am figuring out is that many massage therapists are being hired as sub-contractors so that the employer can save money. They won’t have to pay taxes, benefits and unemployment insurance. What is confusing is what constitutes an employee. It is up to the employer to have this figured out because they will be the ones who will be forced to pay back taxes and benefits when they are caught.
When talking with a potential employer, what you need to be able to tell them is what exactly it is that you want. Employeers will try to hire subcontractors and offer a 50-50 split or worse (60 employer-40 subcontractor).
While it does depend on the responsiblities of each party, I think the massage therapist should get 70% of the fee as they do most of the work and if they are good they will be the reason why the client comes back. There should at least be some reward system for getting clients to keep coming back.

Part of the problem is that massage therapists do not know their rights and also don’t think they can ask for more and they end up taking a low paying subcontractor postition that also makes them work long hours, makes them work evenings and weekends and they have no time in between clients.

The recent issue of the Washington Massage Journal put out by the WA AMTA has an article in it by an attorney – John Peick from peickconniff.com. In it he says:

“Common law employee and independent contractor hinge on the degree of control exercised by the “payer” (employer) versus the degree of independence demonstrated by the “worker”. If you can control what will be done and how it will be done, the worker will be a common law employee.”

“Paying a non-employee massage practitioner on a percentage basis for patients referred to the LMP by the payer is illegal.”

He also refers to tax topic 760 and publication 15-A which have to do with the status of a worker. The IRS uses three guidelines to determine if someone is an employee pertaining to “behavior control, financial control and type of relationship.

Under the behavior control he states that “if the massage therapist is being told when to be at the clinic, provided patients , space, materials, etc., the LMP is an employee”. Under financial control – “If the massage therapist was reimbursed for all expenses, makes no investment in the facilities, has patients billed by the clinic, has patients referred almost exclusively through the clinic…the massage therapist will be an employee”.

So basically what I conclude from this article is that massage therapists who are working for chiropractors or other health professionals and are being told when to show up at work and when to leave and the clinic is doing all of the billing to the insurance companies , the massage theapist should be classified as an employee.

If an employer has classified an employee wrong, they have to see IRS publication 1976 concerning Section 530 – Employment Tax Relief.

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Independent Contractor vs Employee

January 7, 2007 Julie Onofrio Find a Massage Job, News

One of the most difficult business decisions you may be faced with is whether or not you are an employee or a subcontractor/independent contractor for someone you are working for.

The IRS website states that:

“The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if (the person for whom the services are performed) has the right to control or direct only the result of the work, and not what will be done and how it will be done or method of accomplishing the result.
People such as lawyers, contractors, subcontractors, public stenographers, and auctioneers who follow an independent trade, business, or profession in which they offer their services to the public, are generally not employees. However, whether such people are employees or independent contractors depends on the facts in each case.”

I find that there are many businesses hiring massage therapists as independent contractors to try to save money when they really should be classified as an employee.
It is the person who is hiring that is responsible for knowing what is the correct status because they are responsible for paying taxes if they are an employer and may be required to pay back taxes if they are found to be negligent.

Some of the things to consider when going to work for someone are:

  • who pays the taxes
  • what are the duties and responsiblities of each part
  • Who pays for advertising, massage supplies etc.
  • Do you pay a flat rate per massage to the business owner or pay a percentage? It may be illegal to charge a percentage and may be seen as a kickback (for example the law in WA State RCW 51.48.280
    Kickbacks, bribes, and rebates — Representation fees — Criminal liability — Exceptions.    .)
  • Who collects the money from the client? If the business owner collects it and pays the person doing the massage does it mean they are an employee?
  • Do you still get paid when a client doesn’t show up for an appointment?
  • Do you have to be there at a certain time and day, wear certain clothes and do certain things? You may be an employee.
    This is from the Washington State Guide to doing business:

    “Business owners frequently get confused about
    who is an employee and who may be considered to be
    an independent contractor.
    An employee is generally subject to your control.
    Control exists when the employer determines the start
    and end times each day, which days the employee
    reports to work, what the worker will do on the job and
    how they will do it.
    Independent contractors are customarily engaged
    in their own independent occupation or business, and
    are registered or licensed with the appropriate state and
    federal agencies. They usually advertise their services,
    are in a position to realize profi t or loss as a result of
    their services, and usually have a signifi cant investment
    in their business. They also keep business records,
    report to the IRS as a business and usually have a
    place of business from which they operate. You can
    expect an independent contractor to provide everything
    necessary to complete their job.”

    I am not a lawyer and don’t know the legal aspects of all of this, but each case is different and needs to be analyzed by an attorney and a contract drawn up to eliminate any confusion. I recommend having a contract whether you are an employee or a sub-contractor just so you know what the rules are.

    From what I have read on the IRS site and the Washington State website, anyone who is told what times to work and what to do is an employee.
    This is one of the reasons I think it is just easier to rent office space from someone and run your own business!

    I would like to actually hear more about others experiences with this issue and see if we can get a clearer answer and some more definite guidelines to follow when considering going to work for someone.
    Resources:

    Peick and Conniff - Am I an independent contractor or an employee? (Two attorneys hired by the WA State AMTA to help us figure this out.

    Independent Contractor, Employee, Booth Renter: Which Piece Am I? By Ken Cassidy Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, December/January 2002.

    Success by the IRSÂ By Dixie Wall, Contributing Editor Massage Today

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Massage Employers

June 17, 2006 Julie Onofrio Find a Massage Job, Peer Supervision

I received an anonymous email today from someone complaining that my website portrayed employers of massage therapists inappropriately.

I am not sure exactly what page they were referring to but here are a few of them

Jobs in Massage

Here is the email…

a visit to your website
As a potential employer looking for qualified massage therapists, your website came up on a search.
 I'm so disappointed to see such a negative attitude toward employers.
I certainly don't overwork my therapists nor am i "just in it for the money."

While I am glad to know that there is at least one person out there who isn’t in it for the money or that is trying to take advantage of massage therapists, I am disappointed that the person wouldn’t engage in a dialogs and share how they are doing things differently.For the most part, massage therapists are being taken advantage of as an employee. They are usually asked to work long hours, with low pay and often are not even paid as an employee (with benefits and taxes paid). I believe a massage therapist that is hired as an employee should be able to get a salary of at least $30.00 per hour, get paid whether or not there is a client or not, be given incentives and bonuses when they create repeat business (because it really is them bringing the client back), full vacation pay and a retirement fund. Is that too much to ask for? The massage business basically depends on the skills and personality of the massage therapist and their ability to work with clients. Sure the owner may do all of the marketing and have to take the risks involved, but the way I see it the massage therapist is the one who really makes or breaks the business and should be paid accordingly.Granted most people who are really good don’t work for an employer but will create their own business which leaves massage therapists just out of school or those who are not really good left to work for employers. While I know this is a generalization and there are probably some good therapists who work for places, I think for the most part places that hire massage therapists for less than $30.00 per hour get what you pay for.

Share your experiences as an employee or employer…

Are you getting paid what you are worth?

Are you getting paid fairly?

As an employer what challenges are you faced with in paying a massage therapist what they are worth?

As an employer, what do you do for your massage therapists to provide fair employment?

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