On Reopening, Part 3: Floating it Forward. Starting wage is raised from $13 to $15/hr.

Our new streamlined business model called for a severe reduction in staff, from twelve to six. Because of reduced on-site capacity and shorter operating hours, we had far fewer work hours to offer. Some were unwilling to return to work for health reasons, and some thought this was a fitting time to float into a different chapter in life. Three months into the closure, we had lost or let go half of our staff.

Each employee at Bodymind fills many roles - administrator, customer service representative, janitor and mechanic. Staff have a thorough knowledge of the therapies and their histories, the physical properties of the float tank and water chemistry maintenance. They help clients who are in extreme pain or states of stress, who have mobility issues, addictions, or PTSD. They reassure new clients who may approach the session with trepidation. Cleaning the rooms is a physical workout! They handle loads of heavy, salty laundry and scrub the floors and showers in rooms heated to 95 degrees, now all while donning a face mask.

Our devoted “floatationists” have institutional knowledge. They know just how to knock on the pump system to get it sounding right, how much hydrogen peroxide to add to achieve optimum water testing levels, and how to refill a bottle of hair conditioner as quickly as a bottle of vinegar rinse. They know the temperament of each tank (and they are indeed temperamental) and they know which customer prefers which tank on which day of the week with which neck pillow.

Upon reopening we introduced a round of raises, including raising the starting wage to $15/hr. We did this to thank our remaining six staffers for sticking with us, to acknowledge that, by leaving their homes, they were putting themselves at risk, to acknowledge that the job had become harder and lonelier, and to signal both our optimism and recommitment to ethical practices. We know that for our staff to take good care of our guests, we must take good care of them. Long before Governor Cuomo introduced his plan to raise the minimum wage in New York, I had made it a personal goal to build up our business and compensate our staff meaningfully. I never anticipated that I’d achieve this amidst the most uncertain of times.

Post written by Pattie, owner.