{"id":2917,"date":"2020-11-11T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/?p=2917"},"modified":"2020-11-11T13:58:04","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T02:58:04","slug":"working-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2020\/11\/11\/working-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Working From Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Liz Sharkey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In March and April 2020, AMT surveyed industry practitioners as part of the Association\u2019s biosecurity planning process. That survey showed that 50% of therapists work from a home-based business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many advantages to working from home, as COVID has shown office workers this year, but it\u2019s not all roses and sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 restrictions have highlighted some of the pitfalls of a home-based massage therapy business. Both Tasmania and Victoria have, at various times, permitted massage services from commercial buildings but prohibited home-based clinics from operating if the clinic facility did not have a separate entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What should you consider when thinking about opening a home-based massage clinic?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1. You need a dedicated, discrete space<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are operating from home, it should be from a dedicated, appropriately set up room. Pushing the couch aside and popping a treatment table in the middle of the lounge is fine for friends and family but not for a professional clinic. Your clinic room should have all the facilities you\u2019d expect in a commercial clinic, including a closable door for client privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The floor plan of the house matters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally your treatment room should be right next to the entrance\/exit of your home and close to a bathroom. It is even better if you can have a door directly into the treatment room from outside. This was required when the Victorian and Tasmanian governments were deciding if home based clinics could operate during COVID-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Shared facilities with household members is less than ideal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘The risk assessments conducted as part of the return-to work planning of the AMT Biosecurity Committee put a lot of consideration into clients using a bathroom that is also accessed by household members. This does escalate the risks of transmission of airborne viruses, and that’s just for starters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have no other option but sharing facilities, ensure that the bathroom is thoroughly cleaned before clients arrive, and provide disposable hand towels and liquid soap in a dispenser. Make sure that all the family linens are removed from the bathroom, and ensure all cupboards and drawers in the bathroom are either empty or locked. Household members should avoid using the bathroom during clinic hours if possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. You may need a council permit <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you need a council permit will largely hinge on local zoning regulations. Most<\/em><\/strong> councils do not require a permit if massage is the only service\/business you operate from home but you must check before you start your practice. If you offer dry needling, you will definitely need a permit from your state\/territory health department or local council under their skin penetration registration requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. There are insurance implications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you rent your home, you firstly MUST get approval from your landlord in writing before you start working from home. Insurance in this instance can be pretty complicated. Most landlord mortgage insurance prohibits home-based clinics from the property. You\u2019ll need a landlord who is willing to shop around for the right insurance to allow you to operate. If you work from a unit with a body corporate, expect headaches. That would be the time to get a good insurance broker to ensure that everything is above board and you have appropriate cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of the positives of a home-based clinic?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So, what can we include on the positive side of the equation? <\/p>\n\n\n\n