STUFF
Massage shops have joined nail bars and beauty salons as mall staples, but there are concerns about the way some treat their staff.
A masseuse paid as little as 86 cents an hour by an Auckland massage shop wants tougher penalties for employers caught exploiting vulnerable workers. Businesses “pressing the flesh” have exploded with shops in many malls and suburban shopping areas offering on the spot treatments for walk-in customers. Since 2018, close to 1000 massage therapists have been granted visas to work here, and the Labour Inspectorate is taking an interest in how well those treating our aches and pains are being treated by their employers.