EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS AND HELPFUL TIPS OF BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL BEAUTY THERAPIST.

This article goes a long way sharing the employment standards both legal and professional framework and some helpful tips to being a successful therapist.

To be a successful therapist you need to be able to operate within the professional and legal frameworks of the industry. These set the standards required for employment. High standards are essential for earning the trust and confidence of the public. They also earn you the respect of colleagues and other professionals who contribute to the success of the business.

  It will be worth your while joining one of the professional associations which represents you and the industry. A range of services and support will be available to you:

·         Business advice
·         Technical and product up-dating
·         Special rates for insurance cover
·         News bulletin
·         Membership badge and display materials.

Also you will benefit a lot by being able to meet up and speak with professionals in the beauty industry at exhibitions, meetings and social events.

Professional associations are committed to advancing beauty therapy and maintaining high standards in the profession. They provide maximum protection and will hard on your behalf. In return, you must agree to always conduct yourself according to their code of ethics and high standard of professional practice in all aspect of your work.

Each professional organization produces its own code of practice based on expected standards of behavior. These standards are referred to as a Professional code of ethics. Whichever organization you decide to join, you will have to sign a written declaration that you will:

·         always work within the law
·         never treat or claim to be able to treat a medical condition
·         respect client confidentiality at all times
·         maintain high standards of hygiene and safety in all aspect of your work
·         show respect for other professions by referring clients appropriately
·         apply certain treatment only with the written permission of the client’s general practitioner
·         support help and show loyalty to other professional beauty therapists
·         never ‘poach’ another member’s clients or criticize their work.

A professional code of ethics is not a legal requirement but the code may be used in criminal proceedings as evidence of improper practice or negligence. Professional associations will not pay out insurance on behalf of their member who breach the code of practice.

   All businesses are required to work within a legal framework which protects the interests of everyone associated with the business. You will need to know about the laws relating to beauty therapy and how they affect your work, in particular those relating to health and safety, consumer protection and employment.

     The law demands that every place of work is a healthy and safe place to be, not only for the people who work there but also for clients and other visitors. This even includes trespassers!

The main responsibility for health and safety lie with the employer who must ensure that: 

·         appropriate health and safety policies are in place
·         the premises are clean and safe
·         all staff are trained in health and safety procedures.

Beauty salons, by the nature of their business, offer a wide range of services. Most of these require the therapists to work in very close personal contact with their clients. Many of them involve the use of potentially dangerous equipment and chemicals. There are considerable risks of spreading infection or causing personal injury if correct procedures are not followed.

Health and safety legislation is part of criminal law. Failure to comply with the law has serious consequences and can be very expensive for the business:

·         Claims made by injured staff
·         Claim made by injured clients
·         Prosecution and fines
·         Closure of the business
·         Loss of trade through bad publicity
·         Loss of staff through damaged reputation.

The question is would you want to work for a salon which neglected the health and safety of its clients and staff?

   You must always ensure that your clients have realistic expectations from their treatments and that they understand how to get the best results from products they purchase for home care. This helps to avoid disappointment later and helps to develop the clients’ confidence in your advice. As consumers of your products and services, clients have legal rights. There are a number of organization’s and regulations dealing with customer protection.

·         The Consumers Association

·         The Office of Fair Trading (OFT)

·         Environmental Health and Trading Standards (EHTS)

·         The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

·         The British Institute (BSI)

   A business which denies its clients and customers their rights will, inevitably, face legal action. UK government and the European Union have passed a range of consumer protection legislation.
   Once you have become employed you will have certain statutory rights. They are legally binding and include the following:

·         A detailed pay statement showing what you have earned and what deductions have been made from your earnings
·         No discrimination on the basis of gender, race, disability or marital status
·         Equal pay for equal work
·         A healthy and safe working environment
·         At least one week’s notice of dismissal if you have been employed for at least two months
·         Statutory sick pay and maternity pay
·         The right to retain employment under the same conditions if the business is taken over by another company
·         The right to redundancy payment if you have been employed by the company for a least two years
·         The right to complain to an industrial tribunal if you feel you have been unfairly dismissed.

Your new employer may require you to work an initial probationary period during which time you may have performance targets to meet. You will agree with these targets as part of your contract. The employer will not be obliged to keep you on after the probationary period if you fail to achieve your targets.

       Sometimes you will be required to take further training so that the salon can offer new treatments or services. Be grateful for the chance to learn new techniques – the more you can do, the more valuable you become as an employee!

Health and safety legislation requires employers to ensure that all their staff are competent to do the jobs they are employed to do.

       A successful business employs committed, hardworking staff who pull together as a team and are motivated towards the same goals. A good employer spends a lot of time and thought recruiting new people to the business, making sure that all new employees fit in with the rest of the team.

      Most people behave quite unnatural at interviews and it’s not until they have worked at the salon for a time that their true character and personality are revealed! Most good working relationships develop easily. Some have to be worked at. Whatever the personal feelings of individuals towards one another, clients must never sense a bad atmosphere in the salon because of friction between staff.

You will spend a lot of time in the company of the people you work with. You won’t always like everyone but that does not really matter. You must accept that people are different and that, at work, mutual respect is more important than being the best of friends.

If you can be described as the following, you will not have too much trouble earning the respect of your colleagues:

·         Warm and Friendly: making everyone feel that you really enjoy your work and that you have a genuine interest in others
·         Conscientious: working to the best of your ability and being thorough in everything you do
·         Dedicated: showing commitment to the job and being prepared to put in extra time when required
·         Flexible: taking things in your stride, adapting to different situations and circumstances without complaining or showing resistance
·         Self-Motivated: keeping yourself busy and not always needing to be told what to do
·         Co-Operative: being helpful and supportive, making a positive contribution to the team effort
·         Determined: wanting to succeed and taking every opportunity to improve your professional skills and knowledge of the job
·         Reliable: arriving in good time for work and not taking time off unnecessarily 
·         Responsible: not needing to be constantly supervised, having the confidence of your colleagues to get on with the work
·         Sensitive: accepting that there is room for different views and opinions, never making tactless remarks
·         Well Presented: appearing smart and professional, always projecting a good image of the salon.

Everyone who works in the salon contributes to its success. Cleaners, receptionists, therapists, technicians and management all have roles which are different, Yet essential to the operation. Take pride in your own work and value that of others. Once you have proved yourself as a member of the team you will have earned the respect of colleagues and loyalty of your clients.

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