Taking on board new staff will mean they sign your ever important salon employment contracts. Each contract should clearly outline the expectations of your new staff as part of their role, and should be signed by their first day of work. To help you understand what’s needed in your contract and avoid any legal pitfalls, we’ve outlined some key areas you need to cover.
General format of salon employment contracts
First of all, salon employment contracts should be in writing for staff to refer back to. This should start with the name of your business that your staff will be employed at, followed by their start date and ‘continuous employment’ (working for the same employer without a significant break). You can then go into the job title, pay, place of work and the areas mentioned below. Just make sure it’s all easy to read, with each key area broken down into its own section by number or bullet point.
At the end of the document, remember to add an area for staff to provide a signature. This will not only ensure they’ve understood what is required of them, but makes the contract legally binding.
Set the role expectations
A key part of your salon employment contract should outline the job title and role expectations. After all, you don’t expect your hair stylists and beauty therapists to carry out the same treatments! Make it clear what the role is, such a junior stylist, and what staff can expect to do day-to-day.
As a pro tip, make sure you have a line that states “any other area of business” to cover smaller, additional duties that don’t fall into a set category. That way, you protect against a situation where a staff member refuses a task as it isn’t part of the outlined role. Outlining a probationary period is an essential part of this, as staff can then leave if they aren’t the right fit for the role, before being locked into your contract long-term.
Outline the salon employment contract hours of work
Understanding contracted working hours and why they’re important will help you outline your new staff’s working hours. That includes the days of work, their times, how long, and what break options they have. For example, if your staff work as little as six hours per shift, they are entitled to a minimum of 20 minutes’ break.
Speaking of breaks, we all need one every now and then, so make sure to outline how much annual leave your salon staff have (including public holidays and holiday pay)! Part of this should include terms and conditions for different types of leave, such as sickness, maternity and bereavement. Outline these in each salon employment contract as per necessary.
Provide benefits in salon employment contracts
You’ve outlined the role, the pay and even the staff’s rights to time off, but what about their benefits? These are easily overlooked, but they provide staff with incentives for retention long-term. Benefits could include offering training, time and tools for types of Continuing Professional Development, sales commission rates that improve over time, or discounts on services and retail. Also, should you offer pension options – make sure to outline this in your contract!
Alongside the benefits of the role, you should also provide what will occur should staff abuse aspects of their position, such as disciplinary procedures or performance improvement measures. That way, everyone will be on the same page with role expectations.
Outline key details for different types of staff
One last thing to consider is how your salon employment contract should cater to differing roles. For example, should you take on an apprentice or student for hair, beauty and aesthetics T Levels, you will need to sign a written agreement that states what training they’ll receive and how long you will employ them.
On the other hand, hiring a manager will require you to outline the areas they will be in control of. This includes any potential future ownership possibilities, if applicable.
You should also have a legal contract in place to help you maintain control of chair renters in your salon. For example, you may wish to outline how long the agreement is for, who pays for what, and the fee for renting. It’s worth keeping all of these in mind and tailor the salon employment contract to the type of staff coming onboard.
As the law requires you to issue employment terms and conditions to salon staff, there are several reputable bodies who can help. ACAS offers a downloadable written terms of employment template, whereas the NHBF provides salon employment contract templates and staff handbooks to help prepare your business for new staff. Why not become a member of the NHBF and receive these templates for free, below?
