It definitely sounds like she has a personality disorder that requires medication. You have to be either crazy or blinded by your entitlement complex to think you’re struggling financially and “barely making ends meet” when you can afford a second property.

We are making 35% commission and she is raking in the $ but whenever anyone complains about compensation she tells us how they are barely making ends meet because the CA taxes are killing small businesses and how expensive it is to run a salon. Meanwhile her kid is in private school and they just bought a vacation home. A few people have left and have started their own businesses and she is so vindictive she has done everything to try and ruin them. She is paranoid and is more interested in trying to figure out who is talking about her behind her back and who is trying to leave than to realize that she is the one who is driving everyone away.

Anytime anyone quits she blames that person and tells everyone what a horrible person they were instead of realizing maybe it’s her who is driving everyone away. It’s gotten worse over the past year and all of the people who’ve been there for a long time are about ready to quit. We are just afraid she will make our lives miserable when we do, as she thinks we are her indentured servants. She’s really an abusive person. 🙁

Hi! That entire arrangement isn’t legal if the worker in question is self-employed. The self-employed professionals are business owners who don’t answer to anyone or report to anyone.

However, if the worker is an employee and the Off-Premises policy is part of their employment agreement, they have to abide by it or forfeit their position. While this particular policy isn’t “standard” anywhere (I’ve certainly never seen one like this, and I review at least 60 employment contracts and handbooks a year–AT LEAST sixty), it is typical for salon owners to prohibit or restrict outside work in similar ways. However, the salon itself arranges the event entirely, as most state boards require on-location work to be arranged through a licensed facility and for records of the event to be kept in that facility. The professional wouldn’t be the one quoting prices, charging, collecting the income, etc. That would be the “Managing Director’s” job. (Wtf is this “managing director” directing if they’re having the employees do all this work?)

The final note is correct. When you’re employed, the employer can prohibit outside employment and freelance work entirely. I suspect they believe they’re truly being fair, but what they’re being is lazy and ridiculous. As a point of comparison, my contracts completely prohibit outside work without approval. All events and on-site work are scheduled, billed, and coordinated by management. Their policy is plain silly.

I LOVED your blog post (I listened to it instead of reading, which I totally dig that option) about the different types of salon structures and I absolutely loved everything you said, especially at the end where you said you don’t give a damn what owners have to say about it because it’s facts. Will definitely be following you religiously now. Thank you so much for sharing ypur knowledge to those of us that care and WANT to do the right thing in our business. 🙂

Here’s the post about my original question. (Thought I could attach a photo, but I don’t see that option.)

Working Off Salon Premises If you accept an assignment to provide hair services to persons off the salon premises, you must first inform the Managing Director to obtain permission. We expect you to charge the correct amount for the work you could have completed during the time you miss during your usual work day, doubled.
 
Example: you are gone an entire Saturday to do the hair for an event. If our workday is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., you would charge an amount equal to the seven haircuts (or the number of color services) you would have completed during that time. If your haircuts are $30, you would charge seven times $30 which is $210. Now you would double that amount: $420. Half comes back to the shop. You keep the other half. The half that comes back to the shop is eligible for commission that week (meaning it counts towards your making commission that week). The Managing Director clocks you in and out that day, so your time is tracked.
 
NOTE: Working off premises is free agent type work. You are not a free agent; you work for Perfections Salon. With this policy, both you and the salon are remunerated for your work. This is a standard policy in the industry. We feel this is an equitable arrangement for both the stylist and the shop.