Are BC RMTs Actually Self-Employed?

Many Registered Massage Therapists in British Columbia are classified as independent contractors.

But in Canada, employment status isn’t determined by what a contract says.

It’s determined by how the working relationship actually functions.

This distinction matters > for taxes, legal protections, financial risk, and professional autonomy.

And it raises an important question:

Are BC RMTs truly operating as independent contractors
or something else?

What Defines an Independent Contractor in Canada?

According to the Canada Revenue Agency, employment status is assessed based on the actual nature of the working relationship, not just the written agreement.

While no single factor is decisive, four key elements are typically considered:

• Control (who determines how and when work is performed)

• Ownership of tools and equipment

• Chance of profit / risk of loss

• Integration into the business

These criteria are used across industries - not just healthcare.

How Does This Compare to Common RMT Contracts?

Many RMT contracts in BC include provisions such as:

• Set schedules controlled by the clinic

• Restrictions on working elsewhere

• Limitations on advertising or independent business activity

• Revenue splits with centralized billing

• Use of clinic space, systems, and equipment

• Non-solicitation or non-competition clauses

When viewed through the CRA framework, this creates an important tension.

This doesn’t automatically mean a contract is non-compliant.

But it does raise a key consideration:

When multiple factors point toward control and dependency, the classification may not align cleanly with “independent contractor.”

A Practical Checklist

For RMTs:

You may want to take a closer look at your classification if:

• You do not control your schedule

• You cannot set your own fees

• Payments are processed through the clinic

• You are restricted from working elsewhere

• You cannot take patients with you when leaving

If 3+ of these apply, it may be worth seeking clarification on how your role is classified.

For Clinic Owners:

This isn’t just a practitioner issue - it’s also a structural and compliance consideration.

Factors that may increase classification risk include:

• High levels of control over contractor schedules and operations

• Restrictions that limit independent business activity

• Centralized control of billing and revenue flow

• Long or broad non-compete clauses

In some cases, this may expose clinics to:

• Reclassification risk

• Retroactive tax implications

• Legal challenges around enforceability

Why Has This Model Become So Common?

This structure didn’t emerge from bad intent.

It reflects an attempt to balance:

• administrative efficiency

• consistent patient experience

• shared infrastructure

• financial sustainability

However, over time, the model has become normalized - even where it may not fully align with how contractor relationships are defined.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just a technical distinction.

It affects:

• Access to employment protections

• Financial risk and stability

• Professional autonomy

• Business development opportunities

• Long-term sustainability within the profession

For many RMTs, there is a growing gap between how the work is labeled and how the work actually functions

Access to Labour Protections and Workplace Safety

How a working relationship is classified doesn’t just affect taxes or contracts—it can also influence access to broader labour protections and workplace safety frameworks.

In British Columbia, employees are generally covered under established systems that support:

• workplace safety standards and protections

• access to benefits such as vacation pay and statutory protections

• employer contributions to programs such as CPP, EI, and WorkSafeBC

Independent contractors, by contrast, are typically responsible for managing these elements themselves.

When working relationships fall somewhere in between > where there is significant control but limited access to employee protections > it can create uncertainty around:

• who is responsible for workplace safety obligations

• how risks are managed and shared

• what protections are realistically available to the practitioner

Greater clarity in classification has the potential to:

• improve access to existing worker protections

• support safer, more transparent workplace environments

• reduce ambiguity for both practitioners and clinic owners

• better align responsibilities within established legal frameworks

This is not about limiting flexibility, but about ensuring that working relationships align with the protections and responsibilities that already exist within the system.

Why This Matters for Clinics, Too

This isn’t just a practitioner issue.

Clinic owners are also navigating real and often competing pressures, including:

• maintaining consistent patient care

• managing administrative workload

• covering overhead and operational costs

• recruiting and retaining therapists

In many cases, the current model reflects an attempt to balance these demands within a challenging business environment.

However, when working relationships are unclear or misaligned, this can create downstream effects for clinics as well:

• High therapist turnover, which increases recruitment and onboarding costs

• Disruption to patient continuity and retention

• Ongoing administrative burden associated with constantly training new practitioners

• Difficulty building long-term, stable teams

Over time, this can contribute to a “revolving door” dynamic that is frustrating for both clinic owners and therapists, and ultimately impacts patient experience.

Greater clarity and alignment in working relationships has the potential to improve not only compliance and transparency, but also stability and sustainability at the clinic level.

In some cases, the very controls that are intended to create stability within a clinic may also contribute to classification challenges under existing frameworks.

What Would a More Aligned Model Look Like?

There are generally two clear and compliant pathways:

1. True Independent Contractor Model

• RMT controls:

  • schedule

  • pricing

  • patient relationships

• RMT bills clients directly (or retains control of billing relationship)

• Clinic provides space/services in exchange for:

  • flat rent, or

  • clearly defined service fees

2. Employment Model

• Clinic controls:

  • schedule

  • pricing

  • operations

Clinic assumes:

• • employer obligations (CPP, EI, vacation pay, etc.)

  • RMT works as an employee within that structure

The Key Issue

A model that combines employer-level control with contractor-level risk does not align cleanly with Canadian classification frameworks.

Moving Forward

This is not about assigning blame.

It’s about improving clarity.

Greater awareness of how working relationships are defined can help:

• RMTs make informed decisions

• Clinic owners reduce risk

• The profession move toward more sustainable, transparent models

A Note to Colleagues

If you’ve ever felt uncertain about your classification—or struggled to reconcile your contract with your day-to-day reality, you’re not alone.

This conversation is just beginning.

Understanding patterns across clinics is an important step toward improving clarity and alignment within the profession.

If you’re an RMT or clinic owner with insights, contract structures, or experiences you’re willing to share, I welcome thoughtful, professional dialogue.

My goal is to better understand how these models are being used across the profession and where there may be alignment—or misalignment—with current classification frameworks.