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Therapist sacked over male treatment row
Date Added: 2009-07-02
This week I came across a story in the Scottish Sun newspaper about a young beauty therapist refusing to give a male customer a full body fake tan.
Donna Naismith, 22, was asked to do the intimate treatment by salon owner Roseann Foy.
She had been claiming unfair dismissal - and was seeking compensation - following a furious row at Divine Beauty unisex salon in Glasgow. The tribunal eventually ruled the salon were right in sacking Miss Naismith.
Mrs Foy told a tribunal the salon’s male clients included crossdressers and transsexuals. She said special procedures were in place to protect therapists doing full body massages on men.
But Donna told the tribunal the same rules should apply to tanning because it required rubbing cream on the skin in a similar way to massage oils.
I think this can be a very real problem for beauty therapists because, although arguably, most of your customers will be women, as a beauty therapist you are expected to work with male clients too.
When men ask for a treatment, such as a fake tan, they should get exactly the same experience as women.
Also, in this case because the salon was unisex shouldn't Miss Naismith have known what was expected?
However, if the therapist feels uncomfortable or at risk, then there is a problem. Perhaps it is just a matter of judging each appointment as it comes.
I think the bottom line is that as a therapist you know there may be awkward customers and slightly uncomfortable experiences, but that is all part of the job.
What do you think about Miss Naismith’s case? Have your say below or click here to comment in our forum.
