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Taking Time Off on Commission: Vacations and Sick Days
Hourly workers often get paid days off. Commission groomers usually earn nothing on a day they do not groom, so time off takes planning.
Every groomer needs time away from the table. Bodies need rest, families need attention and nobody should groom while sick. But for a groomer paid on commission, a day off often means a day with no pay at all, and a week away can show up as a thin paycheck. With some planning, time off stops being a financial shock.
Find out what your salon actually offers
Policies vary widely. Some salons offer paid time off to commission groomers, often figured as a set amount per day or as an average of recent earnings. Others offer none, or only after a certain length of employment. Some allow unpaid time off freely, while others limit it during busy seasons. Ask for the policy in writing, and check how paid time off is calculated if it exists, since an average of a slow stretch pays less than an average of a busy one. The job offer checklist includes time off among the details to confirm before you accept a job.
Plan a vacation like a slow week
If your time off is unpaid, treat it like a planned slow week. Work out roughly what a normal week earns you in gross pay, before taxes, and set aside a share of each paycheck in the weeks before you leave. The guide on budgeting for slow weeks on commission walks through how to build that cushion, and the same method works for a planned vacation. The commission only calculator can help you estimate what a typical week brings in.
Timing matters too. A week off in a quiet stretch usually costs less than a week off right before a holiday rush. For more on that rhythm, see the grooming year: busy and slow seasons.
Protect your book while you are away
Regular clients are the core of commission pay, and a long absence can push some of them toward another groomer. A few habits help:
- Tell regulars early. Give them your dates and offer to book them just before you leave or just after you return.
- Ask the front desk to hold your regulars. Some salons will book your clients with you on your return instead of offering them to someone else.
- Agree on coverage for dogs that cannot wait. A dog that needs a regular trim on schedule may need to see a coworker once. Leave notes on the dog's usual style and handling so the visit goes well.
Sick days are harder to plan
Illness does not book ahead. A small emergency fund, even a few days of typical earnings, keeps an unexpected sick day from becoming a crisis. Resist the pressure to groom while sick: you risk your own recovery, your coworkers' health and your safety with sharp tools and wriggling dogs. If your salon has no paid sick time, ask whether you can swap a day with a coworker or make up the dogs later in the week.
Rules about paid sick leave differ by location, and some areas require employers to provide it. Check what applies where you work.
Build time off into your plans
Time off is not a luxury in a physical trade. Planning for it, and choosing a pay setup that makes it possible, helps you last. If you are weighing a shorter week instead, see grooming part time.
This is general information, not legal advice. For the rules where you work, check with your state or local labor agency or a qualified professional.