Work Schedules and Pay Structures of Beauty Careers

Beauty Careers have evolved and expanded to new heights in the last decade. Say good-bye to the days of Beauty Providers being limited in terms of scope of practice and services offered and say hello to staff with an army of various skills!

Trending now is continuing education and specialized training. Service providers are building their repertoires as fast as the ever growing industry is expanding. With that being said let’s take a closer look into what a career in Beauty Looks like and what can be expected:

Hours

First and foremost– Beauty Professionals almost always work weekends! That is one thing in this industry that stays the same. Employees should expect to put in some evening shifts as these are usually the most popular appointment times.

Evening and weekend appointments are usually the first to book up so the more availability you have during these times the busier and more successful you will be. Most employers in the Beauty Industry require staff to work a minimum of 2 evenings a week and at least one of the weekend days providing they are open both. Many establishments are closed Sunday and Monday with the exception of those located in a mall which are usually always open 7 days a week.

In the Beauty Industry, it is important to be available as much as possible for those in demand time-slots. For every 5+ hours worked an employee is entitled to a 30 minute break, this can be paid or un-paid at the discretion of the employer. This can also be split into 2, 15 minute breaks if agreed upon between the employer and employee.

Wages

With service providers becoming more educated and versatile, wages have become more competitive. The more skills an employee brings to the table as a service provider the more of an asset they are to a company. This growing trend of having a plethora of skills is wonderful but has made it hard to have an a definitive answer of what to expect financially.

Here is a general outline of what some Beauty Industry professionals are being paid but keep in mind these rates vary depending on the employee’s training and experience and will continue to do so as well as increase as their skill-set and experience grows:

Hairstylist- $15-$25 per hour
Esthetician- $14-$18 per hour
Medical Esthetician- $$16-$22 per hour
Make-up Artist-$15-22
Lash Technician/ Nail Technician-$15-$17
RMT-$30-$34 per hour

Keep in mind these are guidelines only. Most Employers offer a commission either instead of or in addition to hourly pay. A lot of Beauty employers offer 50% commission but are required to pay employees at least minimum wage if the commission is lower and they are expected to be available throughout the spa or salon’s hours of operation. A detailed commission agreement will clarify some questions regarding hours of work you are expected to be available.
Some places offer a 10-20% commission on services in addition to hourly pay. Almost all places offer 10-15% commission on retail sales, this encourages you to sell, sell, sell!

Additional Training

It is so important to stay fresh and up-to-date in this industry in order to thrive. This is where additional training comes in. Keeping yourself educated and trained in new technology and products/ services will boost your confidence and help you be successful which is a win-win situation for yourself and your employer as your clientele builds and products fly off the shelves.

Sunday and Monday are popular training days in the Beauty Industry, whether it is on location or elsewhere. Employees must be paid if these training sessions are deemed mandatory and the employee is entitled to overtime if applicable. If the training is less than 3 hours the 3 hour rule still applies.

Important things to Remember to Thrive

• Stay Current
• Be on Trend
• Invest in additional Training
• Ensure your company is Fresh and Exciting!

Executive Spa Group (ESG)
201, 10518 82 Ave. NW
Edmonton, AB.
(780) 604 2772
info@executivespagroup.com

Tips on Reducing Staff Turnover

There’s 2 words to best describe the world we live in today, “more” and “better”. People are moving at such a fast pace these days, balancing their work life as well as trying to maintain a personal one! There’s always a new iphone launching, a newer version promising a “better” version of the last, with “more” features, apps and ways to stay connected. Personal connections and interactions have now been overtaken by online networking and communicating. People search for that better car, better house, better clothes…BETTER JOB. People strive for more money to obtain these better things and so it begins a constant cycle of striving for more to get better. How does this translate into careers today? Staff turnover. Staff turnover is inevitable but the ones who are affected the most by this are employers. This affects not only their business and pocket books, but most importantly the success of their establishment. There are ways for employers to decrease the turnover of their staff and lessen the chances of their employees looking for the next best job with the promises of more. Training, Appreciation and Recognition are going to attract staff and keep them as loyal and productive employees.

Provide Training

First of all it is important for employers to be the “more” that employees are seeking. Offer more services, beef up your service menu and offer the most cutting-edge on trend services. Provide training for all the services you are offering and advanced training as well to take your employees to the next level and make them the best educated staff around. Training can come in may different forms including product knowledge on retail lines, hands-on training for the services you offer or things like first aid and personal development workshops. When employees are educated they feel confident and appreciated. They feel they are worth their boss investing in them and believing in them and this in return helps to put that looking for better attitude at bay. Ask Executive Spa Group how you can access grants for staff training

Appreciate Your Staff

Appreciation comes in many forms and is unique to every employer/ employee relationship. There is no right or wrong way for an employer to show their staff how appreciated they are. Staff discounts for themselves and close family members, commission on product sales, bonuses when personal and professional goals are met and a positive, well stocked, beautifully maintained working environment and a simple “Thank You” are all some great examples of employee appreciation. This is by no means a one-sided relationship, when the employee feels appreciated they will in return work harder, more efficiently and most importantly happily! It is vital for employers to schedule some time to get to know their staff outside of work, this helps to maintain healthy workplace relationships and strengthens bonds between the employees as well. One of the biggest causes of staff turnover is conflict in the workplace. It is important to resolve conflicts before they spread and involve multiple team members. Communication is key!

Recognize Your Staff

Staff recognition is an integral key to minimizing staff turnover. There are very few people who don’t like a shout-out for a job well done or a compliment. It is important for employers to celebrate the wins and strengths of their employees. Some ways for employers to do this is verbal recognition to the employee themselves, or to any and all employees who have met their goals in staff email blasts, staff meetings or some type of recognition board. Employee spotlights or features in client email blasts as well as on the company website are an amazing way to make employees feel special and introduce them as well as their strengths to existing and potential clients. There is a saying that greatly refers to the topic of staff turnover; “The Grass Is Greener Where You Water It.” If an employer invests in their staff, helps nurture their skill, builds on their knowledge and makes them feel appreciated and empowered then that helps to quell the searching cycle. If an employer is giving the “more” experience and being the “better” option then there is no reason for staff to be looking elsewhere. The best thing for employers to remember is happy staff is staff that is not online looking for the next best employment opportunity. Training, Appreciation and Recognition are the gold standard for reducing staff turnover and keeping loyal, hardworking employees.

Esthetics Schools in Edmonton

Your career route is flexible, there are Esthetics schools in Edmonton that offer full time programs or module courses. Choosing a Full time Esthetics program will help you be well rounded Service Provider. Completing module courses can help you achieve your career goals as time and funds permit. Here are a few examples of what you can do with your beauty career:

Where Can Your Esthetics Career Take You?

Esthetician, Medical Esthetician, Make-Up Artist, Skin Care Specialist, Lash Technician, Nail Technician…these are just a few of examples of where a beauty career can take you.

In today’s fast paced world with ever changing trends and constant growth of the beauty industry, this is a career that will always be in demand. An Esthetics career offers versatility as a person and as an artist, and gives you the choice to pick your area of expertise.

Start Your Beauty Career Today!

What’s not to love about having a beauty career with so many avenues of growth?! The ability to customize and focus on the services that interest you and build on your strengths is empowering, the opportunity for advanced growth and education is endless. The beauty industry is one that will always be growing, always in style, and will always provide you with the opportunity to make a living loving what you do.

Talk to Executive Spa Group about esthetics schools in Edmonton, other training options, paying for your education, plus more!

Check out some of our online resources

Find beauty jobs in our job bank. In addition, find beauty educators in our TRAINING 411 Beauty Educator directory!

Executive Spa Group
Beauty Industry Career and Employment Centre
(780) 604 2772
executivespagroup.com

What is Beautiful Futures?

Beautiful Futures is an 8 week beauty industry employment program. The part time program trains participants in technical and employment skills, and provides work experience opportunities to participants that are keen on joining Alberta’s beauty industry.

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EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP

Beauty Industry Resource Centre

Paying Employees

Congratulations on being ready to employ staff! This is a big step for your company. While it can be scary to put your company’s reputation in the hands of someone else, knowing your responsibilities as an employer can help ease your transition.

When you hire employees, you must register for a CRA payroll account. This account will be linked to your Business Number (BN). To open your CRA account, you will need to complete a
RC1B form.

As an employer, you will need to submit the following forms to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA):
TD1AB

TD1

These forms are Personal Tax Credits Return forms that you have to give all new employees to complete. These forms help you determine what deductions you need to make from their paycheque.

What if employee is being paid hourly + commission?

It is common to pay beauty industry employees by commission, unless your employee is claiming expenses, the forms above will suffice.

Additionally, Alberta Employment Standards Code requires you to keep the following records for every employee:

**NOTE: Payroll records must be kept for at least 3 years from creation date.

PAY SCHEDULE

At the end of each pay period, you must provide each employee with a statement of earnings that includes:

• regular and overtime hours of work;
• wage rate and overtime rate;
• earnings paid that show each component separately;
• deductions from earnings and the reason for each deduction;
• time off in lieu of payment of overtime; and
• statement period.

FYI- cash shortages can only be deducted from an employee IF:
1. the employee is the ONLY ONE with sole access to the cash
2. the employee authorizes the deduction in writing with the amount and date of shortage being deducted

If you plan to reduce any employee’s wage rate, overtime rate, general holiday pay, vacation pay or termination pay, the employee must be notified before the start of the pay period in which the reduction is to take effect.
Keep in mind, these rates must always be at least the
minimum required by the legislated standards.

REMITTING TO THE CRA

You must remit to the CRA all deductions you made from an employee’s paycheque (federal and provincial income tax deductions, E.I. premiums, and CPP) before the 15TH of the month AFTER the month in which you made the deductions.

All remittances must be made in bulk for all of your employees.

You can use the Payroll Deductions Online Calculator (PDOC) to calculate payroll deductions.

ISSUING T4s
You must provide a T4form to your employees ON or BEFORE the last day of February for the previous calendar year. This T4 contains information on the total CPP, E.I. premiums, and income tax deductions you made on your employees behalf for the previous calendar year.

For more information view the Employers’ Guide
Payroll Deductions and Remittances.

If you have any questions or concerns with the information provided on this article please contact Executive Spa Group.

‘Cultivating the Beauty Industry’

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Executive Spa Group
(780) 604 2772
info@executivespagroup