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Event Massage contracted by 'national' companies charging top dollar and under paying Therapists

Please post your comments regarding 'national' companies who look for 'bottom dollar' therapists to work events in the St Louis Area they have contracted often keeping more than they pay the therapist's.

I have been contacted by one company who pays 40%, but as it was 'last minute' they were willing to pay 50% (of $55 due to their national contract with the corporate client). I was so taken by surprise I chuckled, then advised them if they wanted me to cover the event at the last minute, they would have to pay me the $55 per hour.

Recently, I saw an advertisement from the "Back Rub Company" looking to pay $35 per hour with the therapist supplying everything.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cindy Patz on November 19, 2009 at 11:03pm

When corporate planners go to the national companies to get therapists for their event, they usually pay more than if they went directly to each therapist. The reality is that they don't want to have to spend the time and energy looking for individual therapists and having to process payment for each of them. From the national companies point of view, it would be no different than the commission that a therapist pays to a spa or DC office or whatever office they work out of. If someone is working out of a location other than their own, they are only getting that much anyway. So it really depends on the therapists situation and that doesn't necessarily mean that they are 'bottom dollar' therapists. I see both sides. The very best situation would be for those planners to go to massage schools and recruit directly, but that just doesn't always happen that way. Each therapist has to think if there is some other payback that can come from working the event.

What I found surprising was that they requested photo headshots. This is a request for professionall massage services....not a casting call for a film.