Employee Policies and Procedures

I wanted to share my employee policies and procedures. This may look extremity strict, however it lead Results Plus to a 1.2 Million revenue annually for 19 years! The other 11 years averaging 980,000.00 for a small personal training studio. The organization of the business creates the flow. The flow is seen by the end-user (The client) The most important personal in the world…THEY ARE KING! THEY ARE ALWAYS CORRECT! THEY CAN FIRE YOU, YOUR TRAINERS, AND TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE! OK? 🙂

Let’s Begin:

Operating Hours:

Monday-Friday 6:00 am – 8:00 pm

Saturdays 7:00 am – 1:00

Full Time Status:

A Consistent of 30 hours or more per week

Part Time Status

Less than 30 hours per week

 Pay Period

Paychecks are distributed bi weekly based upon the number of sessions worked. Paychecks record Monday – Saturday and are delivered on Wednesdays or Thursdays.  Your check date is Thursday, so you can cash or deposit your checks on that day. We also have direct deposit. You must give us a direct deposit statement from your bank or a voided check.  It takes two pay periods for it to process.

 

Wages/Professional Fees:

Trainers are paid based an agreed training wage.  Wages may differ depending upon the type of session being performed i.e. power of 2, flat rate, etc. Note: The client sessions are 50 minutes / the trainer has “An (un-paid) recovery time” for 10 minutes post every client. This means each trainer gets a 10 minute (unpaid) break at every hour. Results Plus pays the professional trainer on number of ‘clients for the week) services rendered. (The service pay is 50 minutes / workable time). If you have a night shift, the trainer has 3-hours off mid day (unpaid)

 

Trainer Availability:

Upon hiring an Rp trainer, agrees, to let the management dictate, fill, and establishes any availability in those agreed schedule shifts. The trainer is available for certain shift sessions. Management can fill any slot at any time. If you need to leave early…just inform us, and we will do our best to shift said client. We will be as proactive as possible to fill those agreed session slots. If possible we ask that the trainers check the schedule as often as possible. From time to time a scheduling mistake is made, or a client comes in early or forgets their time, and you will now be able to have one more session.   Clients can call at the last minute, or be on a waiting list… sessions are always subject to change. They can change literally every 15 minutes. We would not have you wait around if you had two hours off.

 Flat Rates:

We want to have a healthy relationship with our trainers.  We respected them, as we want the same.  Some clients find it hard to keep time slots.  Some wait until the last minute to cancel.  Our policy is if a client has an evening appointment, they must cancel by 10:00 am on the same day.  If they have a morning appointment they have to cancel by 6:00 pm the day before. For the clients that do not adhere to our cancellation policy and cancel, you receive a flat rate of $12.00.  This will be the rate for a trainer, who has worked less than 18 months.  After an 18 month anniversary the new rate is $15.00.

 

• If a client cancels at the first session of the day 6:00 am or 3:00 or 4:00 pm, the trainers is paid in full if you have made an effort to be here in the facility
• On Saturday’s we pay you in full for all clients since it is a weekend shift.  However, you must do all the administrative items of the RP list of procedures while you are not training. Please see us for the list.
• Please call into the machine prior to coming in for your shift as your client may have cancelled at the last minute (ask management for code). If you are not in the facility and the clients cancels you do not receive a flat rate.
• If it is the last client of the shift, the trainer can opt to leave and forfeit pay.
• If a trainer leaves because a client canceled we mark the book pink, it will be circled or marked indicating the trainer decided to opt out and leave the building.
• The client must be contacted to avoid a double booking or other schedule conflict that can arise from the miscommunication. A phone call should sound as follows: “Hi (Client’s Name), this is (Trainer’s Name) at Results Plus. We have you schedule for a (whatever) o’clock appointment today. I was just calling to see if you were on your way. Please give us a call back if there was some kind of miscommunication. Thanks again, 203-388-8822”
• From time to time a valid emergency will unfold. This is when the trainer and management decide together “should we lose/upset a client and charge them”.
• We do our best to avoid scheduling mistakes but it is a manual system so mistakes may happen occasionally. We would appreciate your understanding.

Well Time/ Personal days:

You are required to call/contact Dave Parise to let us know if you are sick or think you might be sick so we can reschedule your clients or have another trainer on deck to take your clients.  This ensures that all clients are covered and we have adequate time to do so. NEVER CALL THE CLIENT! Please have the emergency contact list logged into your phone.

 

Full time trainers after 18 months Get commissioned on the “regular hours they had scheduled that day” or an average of the “sessions performed said day” You will see the OFF day lined in Blue.

Schedule Manipulation:

Any changes in the schedule, whether they regard switching a clients time, or requesting another trainer to cover your client for a particular hour, must be approved my management. Trainers are not to contact each other privately and move clients on their own without approval. This is to prevent issues of customer request, customer service, that the trainer is not aware of that have been addressed by the client with management.

 

Likewise, trainers are never to contact clients privately via text, clients cannot cancel, or contact via text. Do you text your doctor? The front desk needs to be aware at all times what’s happening with the schedule.

 

Clients are never to rely solely on texting/calling trainers privately by a means of canceling their appointment. Doing so without contacting Results Plus as a business (Live or message machine) it is the trainer’s responsibility to INFORM the client “WE cannot take a cancelation via text please call 203-288-8822 thanks

Benefits:

Health Insurance

Qualifiers: Full Time Status* (30+ hours average)

We offer an individual policy, or group policy- New Obama law- see Dave/ management.   We contribute $50.00 per month towards the policy after your first year, 75.00 after 18 months. Please see us for the information.

 

To be eligible, you must have worked for Results Plus for at least 1-year.

Holidays

Christmas Day-

New Years Day

Thanksgiving Day

We do close on Memorial Day, Labor Day, and 4^th of July.

Trainers regularly scheduled to work the day of the above holidays and are over the 18+ employment maturity date (if the bonus is paid it will be) $60 part time (less than 30) and $90.00 full time. (More than 30) After 3 years if paid will be $125.00 for full time employees.

Holiday Bonuses are not a state law, they are totally up to the employer. They may or may not be given based on financials at that given time.  To qualify you must be employed for 18+ months.  Noted: Holiday bonuses are based on a different formula depending on the fiscal year profit and loss financials.

Vacations: (full time) Results Plus does not offer Vacation Pay. We offer a small spending fund to lessen the expense of your travel plans

Fee structure: (A WORKING WEEK MON-SAT)

After 2 years, $300.00 vacation spending bonus for the year

After 3 years, $325. 00 vacation spending bonus for the year

After 4 years $350.00

After 5 years $400.00

After 6 years $500.00

Vacation spending pay-is paid only once per year, to trainers who actually go away, take the week off. To qualify for spending pay…We ask for a three week notice in writing to cover your time slots when vacationing. Please submit your request a.s.a.p. (on proper request forms).  Since vacation time is first come first served, two trainers cannot be off at the same time. We are sorry to inform trainers the following: If plans are made without confirmation with Management, and it falls on another trainer’s ‘approved time off request” the trainer forfeits his/her spending fund.

 

***Special request days…example- an event, wedding, personal athletic activity, long weekend, seminar, etc…is counted as one of your allotted vacation days…and deducted from your vacation spending bonus. After 3 years this policy is waived!

Personal Training Certifications:

Our prerequisite is you obtain the education, motivation, professional attitude along with hands on experience. All trainers must go through Fit-Pros Academy. We are more concerned with being qualified rather than certified.

New Hire Training:

All potential trainer candidates must spend a minimum of 8 hours observing (shadowing) our current trainers alongside clients and 1 hour with Qualified Results Plus Trainer, to assess the candidate’s training readiness level. The time spent shadowing is not paid, as this is part of our extensive hiring process. All candidates have to be able to meet the RP standard of training before starting.

All candidates who want to join the RP team of professionals are required to sign a Non-compete agreement.

Reviews for Employees:

New Employees will have a 60 day review process to evaluate your overall performance, progress towards goals, client training, program designs and customer service competencies. You must be meeting RP standards at the 60 day mark or the trainer will go on a probation period 30-more days to further evaluate their fit in this facility. All other reviews are done annually or on an “as-needed” basis.

Raises are not guaranteed on a yearly timeframe. They are performance based and depend on the trainer’s ability to step up during times of need and going “above and beyond” what is expected from that trainer. Abiding by this policy is most important. Doing the bare minimum requirements for employment do not merit a raise after a particular period of time.

As stated and confirmed by CT. State Labor dept.

If a trainer “blasts out” of RP without seeing if there is a client with no trainer…or a double booking, or if they WERE NOT AWARE their slot was filled while they were training their previous client…They will be docked one of their prior flat rates where they had free time.

Trainers who have shown a progressive decrease in job performance and customer service are subject to an hourly rate decrease. The trainer will be warned of this and placed on probation to increase job performance. If a rate reduction is put into effect, the trainer can return to his/her normal pay once they have shown that their performance issues have been addressed.

Trainer conduct:

At results plus it is all about service intensity. It is all about the client, so this requires you put your clients first and foremost each and every hour. Your performance, attitude, and timeliness all reflect client requests. It is all about being friendly, cheerful, professional, motivating, and safe and leaving any negativity at the door when entering.

Conversations should be kept to a minimum (NO PERSONAL TALK WHILE CLIENT IS IN MOTION) since your reasonability is to motivate and keep the client focused on the movement. Conversation should only take place while client is on a cardio modality and not engaged in an active exercise. It is all about the details and skill to educate and keep the client moving towards their goals. At no time is any profanity utilized. Trainers are not addresses personal issues in their life they may affect the “mood” of the workout or stray from focus being 100% on the client.

Trainers Performance:

A trainer’s performance on the floor should be effective in reaching the clients goals with the appropriate program design. Each client has different orthopedic and muscular concerns so you must continually be aware of the program card.  You must be able to assess each client’s ability. This means constant progression/regression of any particular exercise.  Remember the benefit of a movement must exceed its risk.  The more you educate the client on proper technique and help them improve balance, strength, and endurance while helping them reach their goals safely will ensure your client’s continual requests.

From time to time we might ask you to review a movement.  It is all about safety first and coinciding with the goal.

Client Assessments:

We must evaluate all clients to ensure that they are reaching their goals.  The clients are making an investment in the program, so it is key to determine what if any changes need to be made to a clients program.

On the first visit of a new client at Results Plus you must perform an assessment with the client. If using the BF scale please date data slip, as well as client’s name. We normally do assessments for the other clients the first week of every month or upon request. You are responsibility for performing the assessment for each client in your schedule for the week. You must pull the client folder, take the appropriate measurements and fill out the information and then file the folder away. Please write clients name on folder.

First workout protocol:

When you see a 1^st next to the client name that indicates it is a new client to Results Plus. You must go over the RP health and Fitness questionnaire with client and be sure that they have filled out the remaining paperwork. Each new client will go through the Result Plus first workout protocol. This ensures that each client will be on the same page for the next visit with another trainer. This enhances the continuity of the program. (See first workout protocol at end of manual)

Program Card:

Each trainer is required to complete a program card for each new client that they train. When issuing an exercise prescription, refer to the RP health and fitness questionnaire and your findings and information as follows.

1. Client goals: Did the client hire our services to change body composition, increase function, etc (be descriptive)

1. Orthopedic concerns Orthopedic Concerns:  Review first two pages in the RP Health and fitness Questionnaire.  List the ortho/ cardiac concerns that are given by the client and then your finding from the initial session. Evaluate! Evaluate! Evaluate!  Does the client suffer from low back pain?  Why?  Frequent Head aches?  Why?  Any surgeries?   What and When?  Broken bones?  What and When?  Did they rehab?  Do any activities cause pain or discomfort?  Posture?  What is the client’s neutral and is it in line with an optimal posture.  Kyphotic or Lordotic? Does client have Upper Crossed Syndrome?  Lower Crossed Syndrome? For instance the client’s lumbar spine is kyphotic should we place emphasis on crunching?  No! Chose exercises that assist in returning lumbar spine to an optimal curve.  Evaluate! Evaluate! Evaluate!

 

1. How are we going to execute each session to maximize goal achievement?  Push Pull Squat?  3 day split?  If so what are the splits?  What kind of intensity?  What exercises do we need to omit or ensure the client does each session? Communicate with your fellow trainer about the last workout.

Meetings:

We will do one-on-one meetings from time to time and split groups as well. Mandatory full staff meetings are paid meetings.

Facility/Floor responsibility:

• All trainers must learn the opening and closing procedures at Results Plus since they may be responsible for them at some point.  While training a client you must clean up the floor to ensure everyone’s safety.  At the end of the workout you must clean (including sweat) and put away all of your equipment. If you are the last one of the floor you are responsible for turning off fans, lights, TV’s. (see closing procedures)
• All trainers must be on the floor at the top of the hour for each and every client. You must arrive a minute or two prior to your first shift session. The most important service you / we can offer is to be on time for your shift session. (they expect to start on time) You are being paid for the session, and we give you a ten minute (unpaid) break between each client so you must be here on time for the client. If you do not show up on time for your client we can impose a flat rate due to your tardiness. If you are late you should take the client over to equate to the session time allotted.
• If you see an A in your time slot next to a client name, that will indicate you need to do an assessment with the client.
• If you see an R in your time slot next to a client name that will indicate you need to give a client their renewal notice. (After the workout)

 Code of ethics:

Trainers must maintain a professional relationship with clients. At no time are you allowed to enter into non-professional relations with past or current clients. This can have a negative effect on Results Plus as well as a liability issue. (Leave personal life home- they have more challenges than you think)

Soliciting:

There is a no soliciting policy which you agreed to in the non-compete agreement. If you at any time train a client or train with a current or past client outside of the facility you are in violation of the soliciting agreement. At no time are you allowed to train a current or past client or with a client at Results Plus during non working hours. This is also grounds for soliciting. Please J don’t do that.

Resignations:

Please give us as much time as possible if you are going to leave your position at RP. This will allow us to find and train another trainer.  Uniforms and key must be returned on the last day of employment.  If a key or uniform is not returned or the uniform is in poor condition will be subject to billing. You also agree that the key and uniforms are returned prior to mailing out your last check.

Please RP trainers…Think how this may disrupt your personal workout…

We, as professionals, must give our entire attention to the client’s workout.  At no time are we discussing our own personal problems, or speaking about our private social happenings/ events. If asked, cool, however NEVER during the reps.

During the client’s workouts attention should be given to the client and assessing what exercises they are performing.  Every rep is an assessment! Every rep hands on, and verbal! (This is what makes us different) Should they stay? Depends on their experience here.

During the reps the conversation should only be the counting of the reps, verbal and tactile cues to assure proper form and technique.

It does not appear professional when our clients must complain about the lack of attention.  They feel uneasy telling you that they rather not talk during their workout (sets & reps) because they cannot concentrate on their activity.  Cardio chat is ok – however “tell them…hold that thought while you set up the next move”.

Let’s work on this together…please…

To maintain our Professional Reputation…this is Mandatory, and is against our code of ethics- to text or call a client for any Results Plus business related situation.  If your client is scheduled with you and not here…Our policy is to call within 5-8 minutes on Results plus Office Phone (not on your cell) and ask where they are PROFESSIONALLY!

*** (Established in many documents- meetings)  A trainer cannot move a client, ask to move or come later/earlier, or ask another trainer to take, or request a trainer to work for them, without confirming in private with the management. A trainer should not assume “a text” request can be processed and confirmed by management. There are behind the scenes reasons for this and we will do our best to accommodate your requests.

When the club is closed (Sat-Sun) “non training hours” a trainer is not allowed in the facility for any reason.   If a trainer must get into the facility, possibly wants to work out?  Please at that point text or call Dave 203-675-5575 and arrangements will be made for any emergency.

Legal: Trainers must not ask a client for advice in a personal matter for any reason. There is a fine line here…  If you ask a doctor a quick question about a concern with regard to something related to our business…”human body” it is very cool…however,  refrain from asking a lawyer, or counselor any particular legal question…it’s against our policy. Specifically, no questions should be asked regarding their services during their neither workout nor information be obtained …i.e. plumbing questions from a plumber; financial advice from an accountant, medical advice from a doctor, legal advice from a lawyer, etc. ‘

We must understand that they are here to unwind…not be on call…if we engage or probe about issues, they will never find peace or escape in their day.  Always remember black and white has many shades of gray…so your question may be simple, but extremely complex to them without many hours of consulting. (It’s like asking us “hey how can I lose this fat around my belly?”  They will never tell you they feel uncomfortable, and it is distracting…however, they will tell me.    Please stick to the reason they hired us in the first place.  PERSONAL…PRIVATE…PROFESSIONAL…Our Three Words on every business card and letter!!

Thank you!

Results Plus New Policy:

As you know, Results Plus clients are personal entities of Results Plus. We market and promote our services as well as sell programs to said clients. Management fills time slots with trainers based on client’s schedule and other criteria. Therefore all communication with clients is performed by management only, unless approved in advance.

 

 

1. At no time will any trainer call, text or email any client regarding their schedule or any personal matter. You may not be aware that management is working on the client schedule. This also pertains to moving and shifting client without permission.

 

2. At no time will any trainer involve themselves personally with any client while at Results Plus or outside the facility. This is to prevent any sexual harassment lawsuits and/or discrediting the professionalism of Results Plus.

 

3. All trainers will maintain a professional relationship with our clients and refrain from utilizing clients for your personal benefit. Please refrain from conversations not pertaining to the specific workout. Keep client moving / focused. As always no talking across floor with other trainers.

 

If at any time it comes to our attention that any of the above policies are not being complied with termination may result.

 

I ___________________ agree and understand this policy

 

 

 

Thank you for becoming part of the most requested Personal Trainers.

 

 

RESULTS PLUS                                                                                                                                 PROFESSIONAL TRAINERS

 

 

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

 

I am a professional, have read and understand the policies and procedures of Results plus Personal Training. I accept any demotion, or penalty for not enforcing these guidelines. The client is always in my best interest.

 

 

____________________ Trainer: Employee              _____________________Management

Date___________________

 

 

Dave Parise CPT FPTA MES