That is true.  But yet again the question remains what my rights are legally and professionally, which keeps getting danced around. It's one of those sticky wickets and the fact that I seem to have no rights is the problem, not whose insurance is going to cover what.

If only it were so easy to just quit.  Like many areas these days, this county has been hit hard by financial problems. Every day driving down the road in the last 5 years I have watched businesses close in waves like they caught infectious diseases. We are one of those places that was once thriving due to big manufacturing companies and such and then in droves, people lost their jobs. Over 700 people applied for one janitor job here at a local school. The fact that I still have anywhere to go is a double-edged blessing.  I am a single mom and I don't have the funds to start my own business--or the space, or the set up my city would require.  I'm not complaining but those are the facts. 

My only option upon quitting is to take a minimum wage job and fight with many thousands of people over it, at which I will probably be told I'm "over-qualified" because I have 3 college degrees, not to mention not be able to make ends meet and end up on welfare.  There are 3 massage schools in the immediate area and no shortage of massage therapists who can't make ends meet. The other option is to retrain and get out of the business, which is actually what I am doing at present but will take a couple of years since I have to work, too.  Regardless, that doesn't release me from treating my occupation as a going-concern.  And it doesn't make what corporations do any less wrong just because people walk away or ignore it. If there is something I can do, I want to do it. 

Those of you who work for yourselves or whose education is respected where you work, you don't really know what you have. But you never do realize what your rights are until you need them, do you? You're not upset about other people's lack of rights until it affects YOU. I'm guilty, too.  I didn't know. I find it kind of appalling how many people can dismiss it because they're doing fine.  But now that I do know, it would be even more appalling in my opinion to walk away and leave the next generations of slave labor to deal with it if I can make any change at all.  There is no way I could ever enter a place like that in the years to come, knowing what I know (and believe me, this isn't the only problem), and feel right about making people work under those conditions.  I don't know how people do it--ignore things they know are wrong and go about their merry way. I'm not trying to take on the world.  I just don't want to lose what I have worked hard for.  And even moreso, I want to be able to live with the quality of care people have trusted me to give them.

hi Jennifer,

It sounds tough where you live.  Sorry to hear that!  It would be great if you could change things. 

The reason I keep talking about insurance is because several times you mentioned possibly getting sued and losing your license.  My only point is, lawsuits are what liability insurance is for, and it's unlikely you'll lose your license if behave yourself :-)

That said, I'm not aware of MT's having any special professional rights, whatever that even means. Legal rights: a local lawyer is probably the only person who can answer that. Or maybe a state MT organization.

good luck.......Lee

as employee,  i refused a client that reeked of pot (maybe it was smoke or something legal) b/c i was pregnent.  so lucky to have an excuse.  I actually had to fake getting sick to get out of it.   I worked really hard to be healthy and wasn't risking it.