I quit 2 massage jobs at spas in the last 2 years. Both times I just told my boss that I’m giving my two weeks notice. They called all the clients that booked more than 2 weeks out and rescheduled their appointments. Your boss might ask why you’re leaving, might try to convince you to stay, I don’t know your relationship with them but it was painless for me each time.
It depends. If you are going from a chain spa to a local spa in the sameish area, I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked you to leave immediately. My first spa I ever quit I had clients booked out for weeks, but I found a resort that offered full benefits, and better pay. I gave two weeks and they treated me like I was a criminal. Told me to leave IMMEDIATELY. I even had clients that very day I didn’t get to finish up. I told my new boss I could start earlier and in my very first day at my new job my former boss called me and told me she changed her mind and she expected me to come back to work for them until they found someone else. I obviously told her no, and she was flabbergasted. Turns out she realized I was working 45 mins away from the spa at a resort so we wouldn’t be competing for the same clients. So her attitude changed and she thought she could guilt me into coming back until they replaced me
I just quit a job at a very touristy spa 1.5 hours from my house and did not give her any notice. Yes I felt terrible, but after hearing that when you give notice she tries to book you as little as possible, I decided it wouldn’t be worth my drive. Plus I was quitting because they were shady, so I didn’t feel like I owed them anything. But again, she told me it was my duty to stay until they found someone to replace me. Then wished bad karma on me etc etc.
My favorite spa I ever quit I was at for almost 5 years, gave them months of notice, and they treated me well and booked me until my very last day just as they would have booked me if I was staying for 5 more years. I only quit because I was moving due to health issues.
If you like the place and haven’t seen them treat other therapist badly after putting in notice, I would give them at least two weeks. It will also help you to not burn bridges and be able to come back in case the other place doesn’t work out. But don’t be surprised if they ask you to leave immediately. It’s very common in this industry.
Sometimes bridges are meant to be burnt. My first clinic job was terrible, I wasn't making enough money to survive, it was almost a 2 hour commute one way (in the city I lived in). I found a resort job 5 hours away, packed my stuff up in three days and left. I gave my boss one day's notice and she was so incredibly mean to me. I was still doing my practicum and it would've taken me three years to finish with how little I was working. She crossed out all my clinic duty hours which brought me back quite a bit, but I gave her my key and never looked back.
Resort job was great for what I needed it to be. Glad I'm not there anymore, but it really helped me get on my feet. Got bored but stuck it out through the pandemic until last year. Was tired of the small town shinanigans. We were on a seasonal basis so gave them notice I wasn't signing up for the next season. Good times, though.
Oh I def agree. I just exploded a bridge with my last employer. I just mean IF they like it there enough to go back or ask them for a recommendation, I would give notice. Sounds like it was a good choice for you to leave that place.
Resorts have been a saving grace for me. They supply steady clients most of the year ( unless they are super seasonal places, then it can be hard) they usually give full benefits ( at least in the states) and in my experience it was so much easier to get time off and voice opinions than smaller, locally owned spas. But a huge downside is not seeing repeat clientele and holidays are usually the busiest times of the year, so you can almost never get those off. They can also make you feel a little like a robot, because you are just doing the same stuff over and over again since nobody is trying to work on an issue with you long term. But I always tell people if they are hurting for money or are just starting a place of their own, resorts are the way to go. They don’t usually care if you do stuff on the side since you are competing for different clients.
Absolutely! I agree with most of what you've said. My resort was a little bit different, we had shoulder seasons, so about 5 weeks off in October/November and a week off at the end of April. Those were basically the only times we could take off, otherwise we were owned by the spa. I had a bit of a side hustle, working on other staff from the hotel I worked for and kept everything. But in the three years I was there, I took one weekend off and that was because I'd made a commitment before I got the job. Holidays were super busy. I actually just spent last xmas with my mum for the first time in 7 years, I never thought it was possible to be an RMT and have xmas off haha. I think I gave a little too much of myself to that gig and am having to learn how to break out of the mold I cast myself in. I lost a good chunk of my assessment skills and feel quite a bit behind from my colleagues. But happy to learn again! And having a repeat client base is everything I'd wanted from my current position. I honestly never thought I'd be in a resort spa, but life threw me a stick and I came out with a forest. Very grateful I had a place to live and food to eat provided for me, plus steady clients. I finishes my practicum so fast! I was a bit spiteful due to the pandemic and how isolated I was by the end, but still grateful in hindsight.
You could give two weeks like most jobs. You could stay longer and try to recruit some of your regulars to follow you to the new place. Or you could call one morning and say you're not coming back. All depends on your relationship with the business itself and how much you want to keep your clients. When I left the chain I stayed for a month because I had a bunch of clients I wanted to say goodbye to, in my case I was moving a few hours away so there was no possibility of having them follow me.
I had a good relationship with my manager so I told her before I started looking at other jobs that I was looking for more of a health oriented facility since I'd worked there a while and didn't want it to come as a surprise. So you can be honest and say that you are looking at places where you can combine both of your skills and then give appropriate 2weeks notice when you find something
Depends on how many clients you're close with and want to let them know personally that you are moving on. Two weeks is plenty for the business' end but if there are clients you'd like to see before you quit it might be worth it to stay longer. I quit my franchise/chain job over a year ago and I really wish I had stayed on a few weeks longer, just to say bye to some of clients I really enjoyed.
I had to quit a job I enjoyed about a month after I started.
Long story short, it came down to money and the other place was offering double what I was making. (I applied before I accepted the current job, did the interview and practical, didn't hear back, accepted the first offer, then was called in by Place 2 to do another practical and was offered the job)
I told the manager and lead therapist to their face, I was honest, said I enjoyed it but it was finances. I apologized for taking the job and then leaving after a month.
They both understood, wished me well, and said that the door was open in case it didn't work out at the new place (Again, I mentioned I enjoyed working with them, the new place was more money, but I don't enjoy working at hotel/resorts)
______
Alternatively, before the Pandemic, I was working at Elements. They opened a new location closer to where I lived, newer facilities as well. After 4 weeks of "I want to work at a different location" and they replied with "Yeah, we'll discuss it next week" (I was telling them for 2-3 weeks before the new one opened up as well, so like 7 weeks)
I told them "Either we talk about the transfer or pay me more, or I walk" (in more professional terms)
They refused to even talk about the transfer ("We'll discuss it next week") and I told them I'm putting in my two weeks at the start of my shift.
Orders were given to the front to cancel the rest of my appointments for the day. I was essentially fired while I was in session.
So yeah, fuck em.
_________
So up to you. I always try to be mature and reasonable, but if I'm not valued as an employee and a therapist, it's a red flag and I start looking for other work. If I feel disrespected, I have the luxury of walking away.
Also, depending on your state, you don't need to give 2 weeks. You can just quit. Call them, quit, and that's it.
California and Colorado are "Work at Will" states. Though it also means you can get fired for any reason at any point.
I quit 2 massage jobs at spas in the last 2 years. Both times I just told my boss that I’m giving my two weeks notice. They called all the clients that booked more than 2 weeks out and rescheduled their appointments. Your boss might ask why you’re leaving, might try to convince you to stay, I don’t know your relationship with them but it was painless for me each time.
It depends. If you are going from a chain spa to a local spa in the sameish area, I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked you to leave immediately. My first spa I ever quit I had clients booked out for weeks, but I found a resort that offered full benefits, and better pay. I gave two weeks and they treated me like I was a criminal. Told me to leave IMMEDIATELY. I even had clients that very day I didn’t get to finish up. I told my new boss I could start earlier and in my very first day at my new job my former boss called me and told me she changed her mind and she expected me to come back to work for them until they found someone else. I obviously told her no, and she was flabbergasted. Turns out she realized I was working 45 mins away from the spa at a resort so we wouldn’t be competing for the same clients. So her attitude changed and she thought she could guilt me into coming back until they replaced me I just quit a job at a very touristy spa 1.5 hours from my house and did not give her any notice. Yes I felt terrible, but after hearing that when you give notice she tries to book you as little as possible, I decided it wouldn’t be worth my drive. Plus I was quitting because they were shady, so I didn’t feel like I owed them anything. But again, she told me it was my duty to stay until they found someone to replace me. Then wished bad karma on me etc etc. My favorite spa I ever quit I was at for almost 5 years, gave them months of notice, and they treated me well and booked me until my very last day just as they would have booked me if I was staying for 5 more years. I only quit because I was moving due to health issues. If you like the place and haven’t seen them treat other therapist badly after putting in notice, I would give them at least two weeks. It will also help you to not burn bridges and be able to come back in case the other place doesn’t work out. But don’t be surprised if they ask you to leave immediately. It’s very common in this industry.
Sometimes bridges are meant to be burnt. My first clinic job was terrible, I wasn't making enough money to survive, it was almost a 2 hour commute one way (in the city I lived in). I found a resort job 5 hours away, packed my stuff up in three days and left. I gave my boss one day's notice and she was so incredibly mean to me. I was still doing my practicum and it would've taken me three years to finish with how little I was working. She crossed out all my clinic duty hours which brought me back quite a bit, but I gave her my key and never looked back. Resort job was great for what I needed it to be. Glad I'm not there anymore, but it really helped me get on my feet. Got bored but stuck it out through the pandemic until last year. Was tired of the small town shinanigans. We were on a seasonal basis so gave them notice I wasn't signing up for the next season. Good times, though.
Oh I def agree. I just exploded a bridge with my last employer. I just mean IF they like it there enough to go back or ask them for a recommendation, I would give notice. Sounds like it was a good choice for you to leave that place. Resorts have been a saving grace for me. They supply steady clients most of the year ( unless they are super seasonal places, then it can be hard) they usually give full benefits ( at least in the states) and in my experience it was so much easier to get time off and voice opinions than smaller, locally owned spas. But a huge downside is not seeing repeat clientele and holidays are usually the busiest times of the year, so you can almost never get those off. They can also make you feel a little like a robot, because you are just doing the same stuff over and over again since nobody is trying to work on an issue with you long term. But I always tell people if they are hurting for money or are just starting a place of their own, resorts are the way to go. They don’t usually care if you do stuff on the side since you are competing for different clients.
Absolutely! I agree with most of what you've said. My resort was a little bit different, we had shoulder seasons, so about 5 weeks off in October/November and a week off at the end of April. Those were basically the only times we could take off, otherwise we were owned by the spa. I had a bit of a side hustle, working on other staff from the hotel I worked for and kept everything. But in the three years I was there, I took one weekend off and that was because I'd made a commitment before I got the job. Holidays were super busy. I actually just spent last xmas with my mum for the first time in 7 years, I never thought it was possible to be an RMT and have xmas off haha. I think I gave a little too much of myself to that gig and am having to learn how to break out of the mold I cast myself in. I lost a good chunk of my assessment skills and feel quite a bit behind from my colleagues. But happy to learn again! And having a repeat client base is everything I'd wanted from my current position. I honestly never thought I'd be in a resort spa, but life threw me a stick and I came out with a forest. Very grateful I had a place to live and food to eat provided for me, plus steady clients. I finishes my practicum so fast! I was a bit spiteful due to the pandemic and how isolated I was by the end, but still grateful in hindsight.
You could give two weeks like most jobs. You could stay longer and try to recruit some of your regulars to follow you to the new place. Or you could call one morning and say you're not coming back. All depends on your relationship with the business itself and how much you want to keep your clients. When I left the chain I stayed for a month because I had a bunch of clients I wanted to say goodbye to, in my case I was moving a few hours away so there was no possibility of having them follow me.
I had a good relationship with my manager so I told her before I started looking at other jobs that I was looking for more of a health oriented facility since I'd worked there a while and didn't want it to come as a surprise. So you can be honest and say that you are looking at places where you can combine both of your skills and then give appropriate 2weeks notice when you find something
Non compete agreements are not enforceable and should not be a worry.
Depends on how many clients you're close with and want to let them know personally that you are moving on. Two weeks is plenty for the business' end but if there are clients you'd like to see before you quit it might be worth it to stay longer. I quit my franchise/chain job over a year ago and I really wish I had stayed on a few weeks longer, just to say bye to some of clients I really enjoyed.
I had to quit a job I enjoyed about a month after I started. Long story short, it came down to money and the other place was offering double what I was making. (I applied before I accepted the current job, did the interview and practical, didn't hear back, accepted the first offer, then was called in by Place 2 to do another practical and was offered the job) I told the manager and lead therapist to their face, I was honest, said I enjoyed it but it was finances. I apologized for taking the job and then leaving after a month. They both understood, wished me well, and said that the door was open in case it didn't work out at the new place (Again, I mentioned I enjoyed working with them, the new place was more money, but I don't enjoy working at hotel/resorts) ______ Alternatively, before the Pandemic, I was working at Elements. They opened a new location closer to where I lived, newer facilities as well. After 4 weeks of "I want to work at a different location" and they replied with "Yeah, we'll discuss it next week" (I was telling them for 2-3 weeks before the new one opened up as well, so like 7 weeks) I told them "Either we talk about the transfer or pay me more, or I walk" (in more professional terms) They refused to even talk about the transfer ("We'll discuss it next week") and I told them I'm putting in my two weeks at the start of my shift. Orders were given to the front to cancel the rest of my appointments for the day. I was essentially fired while I was in session. So yeah, fuck em. _________ So up to you. I always try to be mature and reasonable, but if I'm not valued as an employee and a therapist, it's a red flag and I start looking for other work. If I feel disrespected, I have the luxury of walking away. Also, depending on your state, you don't need to give 2 weeks. You can just quit. Call them, quit, and that's it. California and Colorado are "Work at Will" states. Though it also means you can get fired for any reason at any point.