Thread: question re compensation for package deal classes

Recently I was offered a position to teach a class series at a facility offering other movement classes (zumba, yoga, etc). I was told the payment is a 50/50 split for each student except for any students who buy a facility pass including access to multiple classes. For those students I get $0, unless I am the one who refers the student.

Is this way sketchy ??? Anyone else have experience in dealing with this type of scenario?

Short answer: No.

They don't do their job partially for free and neither should you. There must be a place to teach where they will respect you as a professional.

Originally Posted by twinstar

Recently I was offered a position to teach a class series at a facility offering other movement classes (zumba, yoga, etc). I was told the payment is a 50/50 split for each student except for any students who buy a facility pass including access to multiple classes. For those students I get $0, unless I am the one who refers the student.

Is this way sketchy ??? Anyone else have experience in dealing with this type of scenario?

So if all the students are on a facility pass, then you teach for free? If there is only one person paying, you get half the class fee (so maybe $6 or $7 per hour...not sure where you are located, but that is not even the US minimum wage)?

Sounds like a terrible deal to me. If there were a guaranteed flat hourly or class rate that you felt was worth your time and work, and this deal was additional compensation above and beyond that, maybe. This alone, no.

The only way I could see this making sense would be if they were offering you some sort of compensation for your efforts like a substantial discount on your own membership, or if you were already on staff at the facility and drawing a regular salary, at which point, it's a weird system, because what sort of place rewards employees for recruiting students who don't have memberships? Does everybody else work like this? Imagine them telling the custodian he only gets paid to unclog the toilet if a non-member stops it up!

Commercial enterprises typically do not expect volunteer employees. If it's a community center, they may run a mixed ship (for example, the teachers get paid, and the members volunteer to work the desk), but it seems strange to pay you for only some of the job.

thank you for all the good comments. I did not make it clear that there was a minimum of regular rate students. still, I did not like the sound of the $0 part of the deal, so I am glad to hear others agree.
this forum is such a great resource. thanks to all the respondents for your helpful insights!