TRENDS HALF MEASURES? PART-TIME STAFF F Full-time staff numbers are dwindling CROSS COUNTRY INTERNATIONAL MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS F 28
rom T ailand to Australia, Malaysia to the UK or Iceland to the US, cross- country spa promotion partnerships are
becoming increasingly popular. T ey are a win win deal: spas doing the promoting get a spe- cifi c platform to target customers, while the hosts get to spice up their off ering and gain a unique edge over their competitors. One of the fi rst operators to partner with
spas in diff erent countries was T ailand’s Chi- va-Som. In 2004, its therapists set up home at the Urban Retreat spa in Harrods department store in London to off er a selection of services to UK spa-goers. While in 2009, it set up a therapist and treatment exchange promotion
spa business handbook 2011
with the Australian des- tination spa Gwinganna on the Gold Coast. Meanwhile, from April
to May 2009, the T er- mae Bath Spa in the UK hosted a Malaysian Spa Festival in collaboration with YTL Hotels – the company behind the Spa Village brand. T erapists from resorts such as Pangor Laut and Tanjong Jara showcased a selection of spa treatments and packages, while Malay cuisine from spa chefs was also available.
or the fi rst time in 2009, the number of part-time employees in the US spa industry was equal to those in full-time
positions, according to fi ndings from the ISPA 2010 US Spa Industry Study. Given that payroll is the largest cost for many
spas, especially those outside of Asia, it is not surprising that this is what operators turned their attention to during the economic down- turn. T e ISPA study showed that in 2009, 61 per cent of US operators took “one or more steps to manage and reduce costs by reshap- ing their workforce and seeking greater control over labour costs”. Specifi cally, 21 per cent of businesses “shiſt ed full-time staff to part-time status”. T is meant that while employment in the industry overall dropped by 2.5 per cent – with a 13 per cent fall in full-time staff and a 19 per cent reduction in contracted staff – in
fact, there was an increase of 22 per cent in the number of part-time workers. T e number of part-time employees actually grew from 112,000 in March 2009 to 137,000 in May 2010. As recovery from the downturn gains momen-
tum, it is diffi cult to predict whether we will see a rise in even more part-time staff in 2011. How- ever, there will certainly be a growing need to be aware of the consequences of not having so many full-time staff and of how to tackle the backlash of more part-time employees. While part-time staff may be one solution to
controlling costs, they are less loyal than those in full-time positions, especially if a full-time role becomes available elsewhere. In addition, operators oſt en overlook their training require- ments. Respondents from the ISPA survey said: “better business training and knowledge [is] needed [but we] cannot invest in training due to restrained budgets especially for more tem- porary staff ”. T is will result in low staff morale and ultimately refl ect on the standard of serv- ice if it’s not met head on.
T e Malaysian Spa Festival at T ermae Bath Spa, UK Elsewhere, the Cornelia Day Resort in New
York has teamed up with the Blue Lagoon spa operator in Iceland to off er treatments based on its geothermal seawater.
www.spahandbook.com
PHOTO:LITTLE DIX BAY, THE CARIBBEAN
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