OPINION
KATIE BARNES » MANAGING EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS
T e Sanctuary Spa
Group, UK, uses a mix of full- and part-time staff
FLEXIBLE STAFFING everyone’s talking about...
L
ast year, the number of part-time staff in the spa industry was equal to full- time employees for the fi rst
time ever, according to statistics from the ISPA 2010 US Spa Industry Study (see sb10/4 p34). T is was undoubtedly a response to the economic downturn as companies downsized their labour force and reduced overheads. T ere are disadvantages to relying on part-
time staff . T ey are likely to be less loyal, especially if a full-time position presents itself elsewhere, so companies may be reluc- tant to invest in their training which will ultimately impact on service standard. However, the model of having a core team and then bringing in extra staff when
Could part-time employees be the answer to higher yields?
required has worked successfully in other sectors. It’s commonplace in restaurants, for example, in helping owners to maxim- ise revenues and minimise costs. So could a similar type of staffi ng model work well within the spa industry? Because spas presently have a fixed
number of therapists for a set amount of time, customers choose their appoint- ments according to the options presented and on how a spa can best ‘fi t them in’. Yet there is an argument that being more fl exible with staffi ng would be better for
22 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
business. Rather than restricting appointment times, spas could allow customers to freely pick slots at a time of day and on a day of the week suitable to them. T is would reduce turnaway numbers that can be as high as 20 per
cent of customers (see sb10/3 p54). T en operators could look at customer
demand a short-time beforehand and bring in extra therapists if needed. As payroll is the biggest overhead in a vast majority of spas, this model could also be a way of keeping expenses down. While this all sounds good on paper,
how feasible would in be in practice? What contractual considerations would need to be given when employing part- time therapists? We investigate.
SPA BUSINESS 2 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
PHOTO: SANCTUARY SPA COVENT GARDEN. UNIFORMS BY FAHIONIZER SPA
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