To be fair, let me start out by saying that each one is different, it all depends on who's running it/owns it. This review is only about the one I work for.
-Therapists are only allowed 15 days off per year (unpaid, sick days and all).
-this particular policy was announced/instituted @ May, but they backdated any days off starting from January.
-We have to pay for our own health insurance if we want it.
-Only 10 minutes between sessions (unless you take your 1 break) which is 5 minutes for your client to get up, dressed and out of the room, speak with the client after session, turn the room over (replace sheets, headrest cover, prepare for any aromatherapy, prenatal or deepheat), intake new client, get them undressed and on the table.
-We are only paid $15 per hour or 25% (most therapist anyway, they will start people off at different amounts regardless of skill/experience, some therapists start at up to $18 per hour, I've been there over a year, am one of the top requested therapists (#1 for having most new clients sign up) and I'm still at $15, so...)
-We are only paid if we have clients come in, so some days you only get one or two clients (but you're required to stay your whole shift of course, so you may not get much more than $30 on some days). they do have a policy that if you don't average over (roughly) $300 per week, they'll pay you for your time at $7 per hour ($7x8hr day=$56x5days=$280 = potentially less than $1,200 per month). But at the same time, if they end up having to pay you that way, they can cut back your schedule or not schedule you at all..
-We are only guaranteed the $15 per hour, so when clients don't tip that's all you get.
(keep in mind, while $15 per hour may be alright for certain jobs, MTs have to pay a lot of money to go to school and be licensed, upwards of $20,000 depending on the school. A decent licensed MT can easily demand $100 per hour of service in my area, as I have have many clients say they would gladly pay that amount for what I can do, so $15 per hour is comparatively/incredibly low. We are among the lowest paid therapists in the entire country and most of the 'developed' world).
-even if we have days off we haven't used and ask at least the obligatory 2 months in advance, we still have to find someone to cover our shift
-they have mandatory meetings on occasion, time spent at meetings is unpaid
-they have you give massages to the lead therapist every now and then (in order for them to assess your current skill level), again unpaid
-any training required is unpaid
-there is no policy on injuries (not even work related)... I have been seriously injured multiple times (all job related) and was still asked to work, when I was out of work for a couple days to recover (per doctor's orders) I was never compensated in any way and had to pay any medical costs
-I once had to end a massage because I ran out of lotion (I ran out of lotion because THERE WAS NONE IN STOCK, no lotion, no oil, no cream, NOTHING), finally we were given some type of body lotion (like Jergen's or something) and told to use that instead...
-if a new prospect/guest decides to sign up as a member because they liked you so much, we get nothing extra
-they pay nothing to help with costs for CEUs, if we need days off to take CEU courses, we still have to find coverage, EVEN if we ask off more than 2 months in advance
-easily 50% of the time our paychecks are wrong and we don't get paid the right amount, it's up to us to keep track of massages and make sure they pay us correctly, and as far as getting money owed... I'm going on 2 months still waiting to be paid for a missing hour of work... (they now owe me for an hour and a half, as of the most recent paycheck)
I've heard that most of this stuff doesn't really happen at other locations, so again, this is only in regards to the Hoboken, NJ location. Every good therapist there eventually leaves because they can do a lot better anywhere else. Sure I've had worse jobs, but at least they had benefits. There are much more difficult jobs also, but for this particular career/business, saying we're at the 'low end of the totem pole' would be an understatement.
