Will I be able to keep working in my lash business and receive Paid Parental Leave? The short answer is no. The long answer is there are some things you can still do to keep your business running without jeopardising your Paid Parental Leave payments.
Will I be able to keep working in my lash business and receive Paid Parental Leave?
The short answer is no. The long answer is there are some things you can still do to keep your business running without jeopardising your Paid Parental Leave payments.
Many of us in the beauty industry end up having children. If you run your own business and are about to have a baby and need to go on maternity leave, or parental leave as it is known, you will most likely be eligible for Paid Parental Leave payments for up to 4 months.
If you are employed by someone else, Paid Parental Leave payments are usually made through your employer. If you work for yourself, whether as a sole trader, in a partnership or are the director of a company, these payments are made directly by the Department of Human Services to you.
You are not able to work in your business while you are on Paid Parental Leave so lashing clients and performing any in-cubicle treatments on a regular basis is not allowed, however you are allowed to perform occasional tasks to make sure your continues to run.
What you can’t do is:
- Actively run your business
- Run the day to day operations of your business
What you are allowed:
- Pay bills
- Check orders
- Approve accounts
- Ad hoc disputes
- Coordinate repairs
- Hiring staff to fill in for you while you are on leave
- You are also allowed to maintain contact with clients
- And keep your professional skills up to date.
It’s tricky to take time off from a lash and brow business even for a holiday. In our line of work, the majority of our clients are returning clients. Depending on what service they are returning for, whether it’s for their lash extension infills, lash lift or brow wax, they will be returning somewhere within every 2 to 8 weeks. So the idea of taking 4 months off can feel risky. What will happen to your clients?
If you have built up a strong clientele you don’t want to lose while you are on maternity leave or parental leave you may consider hiring someone to fill in for you while you are looking after your new baby.
If you plan to do this you should start to transfer the goodwill of your business to the brand and away from you as an individual as early as possible. This will make it easier for your clients to rebook with the person that is filling in for you.
Alternatively, you could offer an incentive for your clients to rebook with you when you return.
The key points to remember are to plan ahead. Decide whether you will pause the business and offer your clientele an enticement when you return, or hire someone and transfer the goodwill of your business to your brand as early as possible.
Work out what you can manage while on leave in terms of running the business without working in it.
That way you will be eligible for Paid Parental Leave and still keep your business running if you wish by following the guidelines set out by Human Services.