SSQQ Staff Rules
Rick Archer, February 2003

The information below is long and tedious. As I have said many times, I believe that 95% of all the SSQQ Staff instinctively always do the right things 95% of the time. However EVERY AREA listed below has a Write-up because someone did something so thoroughly inappropriate in the past that I felt compelled to make a rule. 

This is not a fun page to read. I am constantly telling you all the things you are not allowed to do and the realistic truth is these rules get violated about once every 10 years by one person. So keep things in perspective. 

Most people with a healthy amount of common sense will automatically do almost all the things we expect of them without even being told. But professional common sense also dictates we still have to put it in writing.

1) PRACTICE NIGHTS.  (When is Your Night and What is expected at Practice Night)

Every paid staff member is expected to attend 1 practice night per semester till closing on the night that you teach. It is a major part of your job here. You are welcome to swap with other instructors on the same night if a conflict arises, but it is your responsibility to arrange it. 

Note that all instructors who work from 4:30-6:30 Saturday and Sunday are excused from the Practice Night obligation.

2) STUDIO PARTIES/CRASH COURSES.

We expect every instructor to be available to teach a Saturday Crash Course once every four months although I can't promise the dates will be spaced perfectly. The pay is the same as your regular "weekly rate". 

The truth is that most people prefer to have their Saturdays free. 

I understand this and sympathize. One change we have made is that no instructor is expected to stay till closing any more. Teach your class and leave at 9 pm if you wish.

Due to the luxury of having a Staff of 60 people, I try not to schedule any one person too often. I do tend to schedule the Saturday 4:30 Staff more often since they are "already there".

Furthermore I like to assign Assistants to teach some of the Beginning-level Crash Courses since this is a good way to get some experience.  (Note: if you are normally an Assistant, but you are teaching the course, then you will be paid an instructor's salary). 

I might add if any instructor wishes to teach Crash Courses more often, then please make your wishes known!

Nor do you even have to teach the course... if you can find someone on the SSQQ Staff to teach for you, that is okay assuming they are qualified to teach the class and you give them any preparation they might need.

One of the responsibilities of being a paid instructor for SSQQ means when your name appears next to a Crash Course, you are in charge of that class. If you have another obligation, we understand. As is said above, no one minds if you find someone willing to take your place as long as they are able to do a good job. You of course are responsible for training a substitute. 

If you can't find a substitute, then you are expected to teach the course. 

Let me add that even if you do get a substitute, then it is likely we will schedule you again soon. Each instructor needs to share Crash Course responsibility through the year so the same people don't get stuck doing them all the time.

When I do the Schedule, I am usually pressed for time. The reason for this is I have found the longer I wait to do the Schedule, the more effective it is at responding to student requests. However this means I rarely have the luxury of asking you in advance. Again, if you are assigned to do a course on a night where you have other obligations, you typically have over a month to locate a substitute.

Please do not expect to have SSQQ provide you with an assistant. Get a volunteer. Offer the party afterwards for free as a reward. Volunteers are incredibly useful at Crash Courses in helping to balance the boy-girl ratio plus they can sometimes work with a person who is struggling. 

The magic number for your Crash Course to make is 6. If you have a number less than 6, ask Rick or Judy Archer what to do about it. Do not cancel the class yourself!!  Ask Rick or Judy first...please. Sometimes we bend the rules if the students who are there seem especially "up" for the class.  

If your class does make, you are free to go.

Your Date or your Spouse is welcome at all parties free of charge. However please escort them in or let the person collecting the money know in advance so the door person is not put in the awkward position of asking them to pay.

3) JOINING THE SSQQ STAFF - PAID ASSISTANTS AND VOLUNTEER ASSISTANTS

If you accept a position as a paid Assistant, it is assumed you desire to be an Instructor when a position comes open. Otherwise you should become a "Volunteer Assistant" instead. We actually have quite a few people on the SSQQ Staff who are not paid for one reason or another.  Many of these people wish to keep their amateur dance status while other simply don't want to be paid. Others are volunteering until a paid position comes open. 

One of our unpaid staff says they travel too much to "commit" to being at the studio every week. Nevertheless they show up more often than some of the paid Staff!!  Another person wishes to keep their amateur eligibility clear for dance competition. Still a third Staff Member said quite candidly that they get up very early in the morning for their job and prefer not to be obligated to stay late at Practice Night. Another assistant says they like to help but don't wish to teach. Therefore they prefer to 'volunteer'.

The point is, if you do choose to accept our offer of a paid position, please understand that we expect you to become an Instructor when an opening occurs.  You are considered a Teacher in Training.

4) TEACHER TRAINING.

All instructors are expected to be prepared to teach their class ahead of time. If you are not prepared, it is your job to remind Rick or Judy so we can do something about it. Although most training at SSQQ is "on the job", there may be Crash Courses and Advanced Courses like Ghost Towns we assign you to from time to time. Please remind us if you are not prepared and wish to receive our help. 

5) SYLLABUSES/SYLLABI. 

The only way we can stay organized in our teaching curriculum is to provide a syllabus and ask you to follow it closely. How you explain the patterns, how you organize your class, which "cadence" you use, which information you choose to stress and how you make your presentation is left up to you. We expect you to explain things in whatever way you are most comfortable with. 

However the closer you stick to the syllabus, the easier it is for students to switch nights without major confusion when there is a parallel class. A lot of effort has been put in over the years towards developing a logical sequence of patterns. We expect you to follow the syllabus carefully. 

Do not go teaching patterns that are not on the syllabus. Review a pattern, teach it to Polka, play music, polish a skill, do whatever you wish, but do not add patterns that aren't listed without prior approval. This exact thing has led to many problems over the years, especially in parallel classes.  

If you have an idea how to make an improvement in a syllabus, please feel free to bring it to my attention!  But please do it ahead of time, not after you have already blazed your own trail. 

SYLLABUSES FOR STUDENTS. Giving out syllabuses is a hassle, but students like them. Feel free to make copies to handout in the 4th week ONLY. 

I repeat: Syllabi are to be handed out in the 4th and final week ONLY. 

Otherwise students will pester the entire staff - not just you - constantly for a syllabus at all hours of the day. Then they forget their syllabus and ask for another...and another...and another. 

If you break this rule, you will simply be training the student to ask you or someone else to do it again.  They will go to another instructor and say "so and so gave me one. Why won't you?"  All you have to do is say, "That's the rule", then stick to your guns. If everyone says the same thing, then all the whining will stop. 

STICK TO THE RULE!!  Thank you. 

6) PRIVATE LESSONS.

We prefer that our instructors do not actively "solicit" private dance lessons. SSQQ prides itself on keeping the commercialism to a minimum. However any instructor at SSQQ is welcome to accept a student's request to teach a private dance lesson as long as it is conducted here at the studio. You may not teach private lessons in your home or outside the studio without permission. Violation of this request is a serious offense. 

You are responsible for arranging the lesson yourself. You can schedule one whenever you wish. Charge the student(s) $44 and have them pay you directly. 

Please do not forget to mark the number of private lessons on your monthly time sheet. We will then automatically deduct your floor fees.

The best time to schedule one is typically any weeknight at 6 pm, but some instructors also do them after class at 9:15 pm (make sure it is NOT your night to stay late to help clean up). 

If you prefer weekends or some time during the day, let us know so we can get you a key to Room 6. You are expected to provide your own music.

7) NO PRIVATE GROUP CLASSES WITHOUT PERMISSION. 

No Instructor may give a private dance lesson to more than 4 people at a time at the studio without contacting Rick Archer first. As of 2003, a private lesson costs the student $44. You the instructor are expected to pay a $12 floor fee by marking each lesson on your monthly time sheet. 

In early 1999 there were 3 instances where different instructors were asked to teach a group class here at the studio on a private basis. Unfortunately I had a problem with this. The SSQQ Business is teaching Group Classes. SSQQ pays the rent teaching Group Classes. This is how we make our living.  In essence when one of our instructors starts teaching private group lessons, they are now in direct competition with their employer.

You are welcome to schedule private lessons for four or less people any time you wish. You can charge 1, 2, 3, or 4 people $44. Above 4, you are not permitted to give the lesson. 

Private Lessons are the domain of each instructor. You can make $32 an hour for one lesson. This is a nice reward for working at the studio. You don’t have to pay rent, you don’t have to pay insurance, you get your experience from us, you get seen by our students, and you get to develop your reputation here. Then you get rewarded when people come to you for private lessons. You deserve both the credit and the money you receive. 

In short, you can generate a great deal of spending money with private lessons. However, if someone tries to get you over the magic number of 4, then you have to ask my permission. That is the line in the sand. Four and Under : Yours. Five and Above : Mine.

Surely some of you might feel we are being greedy. Perhaps so, but if the studio goes in debt, don't forget who takes the heat.  We have a risk factor of $22,000 a month in overhead before we even make a dime.  

Please be willing to help SSQQ stay in business and don't trespass on the area that pays the rent: Group Dance Lessons.  Thank you. 

8) OTHER DANCE STUDIOS/TEACHING OUTSIDE SSQQ.

If you have accepted a teaching position at SSQQ, we prefer that you not teach dance elsewhere unless you receive explicit written (email) permission from Rick or Judy. 

You may not teach dance on your own and be on our staff at the same time without asking permission.

We would be foolish to allow any members of our staff to be in business for themselves or divide their loyalties between SSQQ and another dance organization. 

On the other hand, we do occasionally permit instructors to teach outside the studio as long as we know about it and approve of it in advance. There are occasionally one-time or brief opportunities to teach that do not seem to be much of a threat to our business.  

For example, there is a one-time-only rodeo-related party that needs an instructor. We would likely say 'okay'.  Or a belly dance school needs a ballroom teacher for an ongoing course. Here we would say 'no'.  The operative word is 'on-going'.

If you do receive permission, we would expect you to represent yourself as a staff member of SSQQ rather than as an independent operator. This includes teaching at another studio as a guest instructor, at a dance club, a church, or some special function. 

Staff members are welcome to take dance lessons elsewhere if they wish, but we draw the line at teaching elsewhere (even if it is for free) unless we are consulted beforehand. Please have the respect not to do it behind our backs. 

9) THE 10% RULE FOR TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS OUTSIDE THE STUDIO.

We occasionally get a variety of off-the-beaten-path requests for dance teachers to participate outside the studio.  For example:

Hi Rick, Tracy Santoro is having a party at her home and would like someone to help her for about an hour to show some dances. (line dances and/or couples). Encourage others to dance. She will be getting a dance floor. She will need someone from around 8:30 - 9:30 pm on March 8, 2002. I will be unable to help due to prior commitments. I thought so and so might be able to do it since she did such a good job at a company party at Christmas time. Or do you have someone else that might be interested, if she can't. Her e-mail is blah blah and phone is xxx-yyy-zzzz. Please inform her if anyone can help. Thank you.


Rick - A long-term care facility in Conroe is looking for a couple of swing dancers who can perform at a Valentine's day party.

The are located at 1600 Grand Lake Drive in Conroe, by the Conroe Hospital. The party is scheduled for 3 pm on Friday, February 14. 

The contact is a woman named so and so. Her number is xxx-yyy-zzzz. 

They are not looking for any instruction, only people who can perform for their residents, who are ages 68-98!!! (So I'm guessing that we just put on a cd of big band music and dance around for a while, nothing particularly fancy or choreographed would be necessary).  She is willing to pay $100 total. 

I rarely accept these adventures because they usually conflict with being here at the studio. So instead I decide who on the staff might enjoy the assignment and do a good job

There are two kinds of assignments: 

1. One-time events such as teaching at someone's home or job.
2. Ongoing events such as teaching "off-campus" at a church or a children's class for several weeks. 

If it is a big job, I negotiate a price ahead of time. If it is a small job I still usually make a suggested price ahead of time, but sometimes I let the instructor do the bargaining. If I negotiate the price, I will pay either pay you an hourly rate or let you reimburse the studio 10% of your fee. If I do put you in charge of the bargaining, you are still expected to automatically reimburse the studio 10% of your fee. Simply mark the deduction on your monthly timesheet which you email to us. 

Things get trickier if someone contacts you directly to teach. 

When someone contacts you directly about teaching/performing/etc, I hope you understand the only thing a Staff Member has permission to accept directly is private lessons. Before accepting anything else, you should contact me first about any outside teaching opportunities before accepting them. Simply say you would like to do the job, but you prefer to check with me before making a firm commitment. It is highly unlikely I will say “no”, but I do not like people who operate behind my back. Nor would you.

First you are asked to tell Rick or Judy about it. Then we ask you to return 10% of your fee to the studio on your next paycheck (unless Rick or Judy instructs you to waive the charge). No one doubts it is your reputation that brought this opportunity to you, but it is also likely the reputation of SSQQ and your position as an experienced instructor at a well-respected dance studio helped. Any time you are teaching a Group Class either at the studio or "off-campus" and you have not told us about it, you can assume we feel you are acting in direct competition with your employer.

Payment is done on the honor code. Anyone caught breaking the rule can be terminated. 

As we said before, rather than be bitter about this policy, remember the rent & light bill alone for each month is over $8,000 a month, total staff salary approaches $10,000, and the total overhead is $20,000 a month. 

10% is not a great deal of money. Any contribution you make towards paying the rent is always appreciated. 

10) DATING STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS.

Since most of our Staff are single, you do not need to be told this is an excellent place to meet attractive people. Let me add if you want to get married, working at SSQQ has historically improved your chances of meeting the right person DRAMATICALLY for many instructors. The number of teachers who have met their significant others here over the years must be near 50!

The dark side is when things do not work out. Someone invariably is forced to leave the studio or worse sticks around to badmouth you. 

I do not mind if you date staff and/or students as long as you date ONE PERSON FROM THE STUDIO AT A TIME.  Please have the sense not to jerk them around. Please exercise caution and restraint in this area. Be discrete and professional while you are at the studio. For example, hugging, holding hands, a quick smooch is fine. Sitting on laps, laying down on couches ... take it outside.

If I sense your behavior is exploitive or is causing problems, I won't hesitate to discuss it with you. If it is a serious problem I may ask you to change your behavior or leave. Our studio has NEVER had a sexual harassment issue.  Let's keep it that way.

11) SSQQ OFFICE

In a nutshell, please limit your use of it. You are welcome to put your valuables in there, pick up syllabuses, etc, but it is too crowded with Samantha in there for people to hang out. 

COPIER. Please do not use the Copier for personal use without permission. You are welcome to copy syllabuses anytime you wish. However please remember not to hand out syllabuses to students until the 4th week. 

COMPUTER. No one is allowed to use the computer without permission. Do not use the computer without asking. Someone did once and they were fired. They were caught looking up emails. 

12) AIR-CONDITIONER POLICY. 

Please do not turn the main air-conditioner on until an 1 1/2 hours before group classes start without permission. 

1. The large AC costs $15 an hour to run. 
2. We have 3 perfectly large side rooms with separate ACs that run more efficiently during the day for private lessons. 

13) MISSING CLASSES, PRACTICE NIGHT, GETTING SUBSTITUTES.

Things occur on a regular basis that may interfere with your work here at SSQQ. For example, vacations, illness, overtime at your other job, or special events may pop up that and cause you to seek a substitute.  Nevertheless, if you are paid to be here, then we expect you to find a substitute. 

Please do not ask management to find the substitute; find them yourself. 
Staff Email Addresses

Every time you miss teaching your class, the studio suffers to some extent. The famous argument is getting a qualified substitute should solve the problem. My rejoinder is that in a 4-week class, each time you are gone, you miss 25% of the class. How many businesses allow you to work only 75% of the time?  On the other hand, if it doesn't happen very often, the studio will live. 

So we need to have an understanding: If we feel you miss your class too often, we may ask you to cut back on your hours or switch to being a "Volunteer". We hold instructors to a much higher standard than assistants due to greater responsibility. Please keep your absences to a minimum. You might be surprised how many people come to your class because it is YOUR class and get disappointed when you aren't there. You may not hear the complaints, but Judy and I do. This is the main reason we don't like very many absences. 

Paid Assistants are also to find a substitute, especially if it your night to close.  Volunteer Assistants should simply let the lead instructor know when they will be absent.

14) EMAIL LISTS MAY NOT BE COLLECTED BY ANYONE AT THE STUDIO.

SSQQ maintains an email list that contains the email address of about 75% of our students. If you need someone's email address for a specific purpose, just ask. 

However there is no reason to collect the emails of a group of SSQQ students. One, yes. Two, yes. Three, No. 

In June 2000 I discovered the existence of an email list containing the addresses of over 100 SSQQ Swing students. Subsequently these students were emailed an announcement of a Lindy Class at HSDS, the Houston Swing Dance Society.  I was told this class attracted over 70 people, many of whose names appeared on the email list. Someone from HSDS used someone in authority at SSQQ to collect those names. The feeling of being 'betrayed' by this incident lingered a long time.

I then found out an SSQQ "Volunteer" had collected many of these email addresses during and after the Swing classes they helped with.  I will spare you my first reaction. And my second one. And my third one.

Since there was nothing in writing, I decided to let the incident pass quietly. However as of July 2000, large email lists may not be collected by anyone on Staff. Nor can anyone on Staff assist or allow a student to do so either. 

If you see a student engaged in this sort of behavior, please ask them to stop and report the incident to me or to Judy immediately. 

No one may collect more than two emails addresses from students here at SSQQ on any given night.  This means Staff and Students alike. If there is someone who has become a friend or a possible business lead, that is acceptable. 

Large email lists always turn out to serve someone else's agenda. Let them collect their addresses elsewhere, but not under my nose. If someone wishes to do it outside the studio, then it is none of my business. 

15) GETTING PAID. 

In order to get paid, you must either email us your information or fill out a timesheet in the office during the final week of class. Email to Marla Archer at payroll@ssqq.com

Since our computer payroll system is complex and time-consuming, it is necessary that we pay everyone at the same time. If you forget to fill out your time sheet, please understand it is an hour of work to issue a separate paycheck.  The right thing to do is to submit 2 timesheets the following month. 

Your paychecks will be ready sometime during the first week of the new semester. Please mark your hours worked, how many private lessons you did during the month, and any 10% contributions you have to make. 

SSQQ PAY SCALE. (last update: No

A job at SSQQ is not exactly a big money-making project. My guess is the majority of our staff works here for the fun of it. However a little extra money is always nice if it comes in addition to having fun. One thing you need to be clear about is you are paid very little for Practice Night. The last time I checked it was a dollar an hour. 98% of your pay is based on the two hour Group Classes. 

ASSISTANTS.

1. 01 - 06 Months: $8
2. 07 - 12 Months: $10 an hour
3. 12 and beyond:  $12 an hour

INSTRUCTORS: 

1. Senior Staff are paid either $20 an hour (5 years of teaching)
2. Junior Staff are paid $18 an hour.  
3. Apprentice Junior Staff are paid $16 an hour for the first year.

CRASH COURSES:

1. Instructors are paid $40 a night.
2. Assistants are paid $25 a night

FLOOR FEE FOR PRIVATE LESSONS: 

1. 1 to 4 people:  $44 an hour (deduct $12)
2. more than 4 people:        You need Rick Archer's permission to conduct ANY LESSON WITH MORE THAN 4 PEOPLE.  We will negotiate how much to charge based on the number of people. 

Although it is clear no one is going to get rich teaching here, I have been told the salaries are actually at the upper end of the scale for the Dance Industry. Whether this is true or not, I do not know. 

OVERVIEW.

Every job has its drawbacks and SSQQ is no different. 

There's BS in this job just like all others, but we try to keep it to a minimum. 

Please believe for every rule listed up there, someone did something so totally inappropriate that we had no choice but to make a rule. As I said before, it is the truth that 95% of you exercise excellent judgment naturally 95% of the time. 

However with 60 people on our staff and most of you here one, maybe two nights a week, the only way to get everybody on the same page is to have written guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.

I might add if any of you feel one or more of the above rules is unfair, I am willing to open the issue up for debate among the Staff. I would prefer to be seen as fair by all of you than be seen as an autocrat. 

I trust all of you. I would ask you leave if I didn't. But I always feel a need to protect my business. It seems like every time I don't pay attention, someone like the Swing Volunteer comes along and does something inappropriate like gather the email list that cost the studio business. Then I have to turn around and make a rule. 

This world is a heck of a lot less brutal than it used to be, but it is still a dangerous place. That is just the way it is, I guess. If you want SSQQ to continue to be the best and strongest dance studio in the city, then I beg all of you to help me protect the business. 

Thank you. 
Rick Archer