Box Owner Question

[lealyn]

@skizzik183 IMHO only offering free membership as compensation sounds a bit like exploitation to me... the thought honestly didn't even cross my mind that the coaches at my box might not get paid and I'm disappointed that it sounds like this is a practice at some boxes. What's it to the owner to allow one additional person to come and join a class, use equipment, etc. when they benefit from that person teaching whole classes and all that entails? They are experienced, helpful, professional, and run great group classes, so I just assumed they were paid for what they're doing, which is... work.

 

[skizzik183]

@lealyn That’s why I inquired what the standard practice is in other areas. We just get a “free” membership. I wanted some data to maybe present to our owners as a common practice how people compensate their staffs so I have solid idea prior to talking to them.

 

[sforb]

@skizzik183 If your gym is in America this likely is a violation of federal minimum wage of which payment in kind does not qualify to meet the threshold for. A quick anonymous call to your local states labor board reporting this will get it shut down real quick.

Absolutely no one should be coaching for “a free monthly membership”.

 

[dawn16]

@skizzik183 We get paid an hourly rate as well as a free membership. I am only coaching 2 hours a week currently, so I have opted out of the hourly rate and just take the free membership. It is just enough hours to cover the cost of the membership.

 

[goodolchristiangal]

@skizzik183 Opened a gym 3 years ago after coaching since 2016, starting as a passion project and worked up to a head coach (making very little money). I do the majority of coaching at the gym but have 3 other coaches who all make $40/hour.
This of course comes with a long list of expectations:
- being early to the class and willing to stay late (at least 20 minutes on either side).
- expectations of their coaching quality which I routinely stay and watch to give feedback after the class.
- presence and attitude with clients,
- knowledge of our systems and SOPs
- etc.
The reason I pay more than the average is I see coaching as my main selling feature. I expect the coaches to have the ability to know a coach gymnastics, weightlifting, and general movements very well. Just ask around what your local Yoga studio pays per class. As a member paying $225/month (what I charge for my gym), I'd be upset if the coach was merely there for a free membership.

 

[skizzik183]

@goodolchristiangal Love this thought process, that is great.

 

[bethstacy]

@skizzik183 I’ve worked in a few gyms, some CrossFit, some not. And this is the stuff that makes the fitness industry lose talent. No other industry would allow for these kind of hiring practices. There’s a reason you don’t see a lot of full time, older coaches. It’s not practical. The hours are bad and/or the pay is bad. Letting employers devalue your work like this is why the industry doesn’t mature like others have. If you’re good at your job, demand to be compensated for it

 

[skizzik183]

@bethstacy I agree as well

 

[coreybum]

@skizzik183 We pay coaches per class ($30-40 depending on experience and CE) and if they teach at least 8 per month, they get a free membership/ The caveat is we also require that they workout in one of our classes and give feedback to the other coaches.

 

[renjac]

@skizzik183 Gym I coach for sucks.

$15 for L1 $17 for L2. $50 membership and a $20/yr “fee” for equipment maintenance.

It’s bull crap. Full stop.

 

[faithisfreedom]

@renjac Fuuuuck that

 

[chickenlittle]

@skizzik183 Affiliate manager…

A) we pay all our coaches comp their membership, but for a comp membership we ask them to coach a minimum of 2 classes a week. We don’t really track it, if they haven’t coached for more than a month or so, we sit down with them to see what’s going on and make a call based on what’s going with them. In rare cases, we do a part time coach membership. 50% off for people who aren’t on the reg schedule. We allow them to keep their key.

B) Hourly rate is free membership + 20 an hour, 25 an hour if you have an L2. Full time coaches are on a salary which includes a list of managerial duties plus agreed number of classes a week. They get 2 weeks vacation and maternity/patently leave.

C) we don’t pay salary to all coaches because we find that part time coaching can be pretty touch and go. We’re happy to have part timers and want to make sure they’re happy without breaking payroll so we comp the membership and pay them hourly, but they usually have other things in life that take priority, and we are totally fine with that. Plus they’re very helpful to our full time coaches when they need a break. “Salary” for part time coaches is the membership and the key.

It’s hard to make a judgment call on fairness since I don’t know anything about the business side of the gym you are coming from. Most places are paying 20 dollars an hour, so free membership for 5 classes at 20 an hour isn’t totally unreasonable. We pay and comp because we think happy coaches = happy athletes. Sort of an unforced error to make coaches stress about a membership and I would HATE to lose a good coach because of of a few dollars. But, I’m at a pretty large and established gym, so I have some wiggle room.

 

[skizzik183]

@chickenlittle Awesome description thanks for the info, if you don’t mind me asking what state are you out of?

 

[chickenlittle]

@skizzik183 Largest city in the Peach State.

 

[heretoday]

@skizzik183 In general I think you get what you pay for. If just offering a free membership, consider how many hours they will work that month, including set up of class/having them show up 15 minutes before class to open the doors and turn on the lights or to stay until the last member is done showering/changing to lock it up and turn it off.

If they coach two classes a week, and with set up and tear down it takes 1.5 hours per 1 hour class, then they are working approximately 12 hours a month.

$150 mo/12 hours=$12.50/hour.

I don't know what you expect for $12.50/hour. My guess is you won't be able to ask for much in return other than just reliably showing up and being a positive influence on the class/coaching. But most people are not going the extra mile for $12.50/hour.

Gyms that pay well are generally able to ask more of their employees in return--in fact if all you are offering someone is a membership and don't have them on a w-2 its more appropriate just to call them an unpaid volunteer--and again--how high of a standard can you ask of an unpaid volunteer?

 

[skizzik183]

@heretoday That’s my thoughts on it as well

 

[patona]

@skizzik183 I coach at a box in WA State. Starting pay is $20/hr and owner gives regular raises, particularly if we add skills/certs. Any coach who leads 4+ classes a week also gets a free membership.

 

[samerobert]

@skizzik183 I just found out that my gym doesn’t pay for coaching unless they hit a certain number of hours. Whatever that number is. Under a certain amount of hours it covers the cost of their membership. I am SO conflicted about this, as they charge the highest rate in the entire world (if a Reddit poll/spreadsheet is to be believed, and I believe it). The very idea that we expect people to work for free. Absurd.

 

[sharzid]

@skizzik183 I am not sure why you are posting leading questions; however, under a good-faith assumption, here are some answers.

A: Some part-time staff work 2-3 hours a week in exchange for a free membership, which works out roughly to to $30.00 CAD per-class. Anyone on this arrangement is not responsible for covering their shift if they can't make it to the gym because their real job gets in the way.

We have a few six figure earners who coach because they are passionate about CrossFit and want to give back to the community. Their membership is a taxable benefit and it's really annoying.

B: Hourly staff start at $30.00 per hour. Pay increases with credential. A level 2 is paid %35.00 per class, a Level 3 $45, and a Level 4 would be paid $60.00 per class. These staff members are responsible for covering their own shifts and the equivalent is any other hourly part-time job.

The majority of our hourly staff is made up of post-secondary students. It is a part-time job with perks.

C: We have salaried staff members who are responsible for coaching class and a host of other tasks. Salaried staff members make a variety of different incomes and each staff member has a separate payment plan. Salaried staff must request time off (outside of sick days, obviously) and may have their request denied, regardless of warning given, based on seniority. The equivalent would be a salary + commission structure.

These are career coaches who have worked to build up credibility in our community and supplement income with personal training and specialty programs.

 

[skizzik183]

@sharzid That’s awesome! More trying to get a balance of if this is something that can be done as a career in the future. Wanted to know how other parts of the world operate their staff vs how we do in my area.