Position Brief: Misclassification of Registered Massage Therapists in British Columbia

 This brief outlines a recurring issue observed across RMT practice settings in British Columbia and identifies potential areas for regulatory and policy response.

ISSUE

Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) in British Columbia are frequently classified as independent contractors despite working under conditions that meet criteria for employment.

IMPACT

- Practitioners assume financial and legal risk without corresponding autonomy

- Lack of employment protections (e.g., EI, CPP contributions, workplace standards)

- Fear of retaliation limits reporting and perpetuates non-compliant practices

CURRENT GAP

There is limited profession-specific guidance and inconsistent enforcement of existing employment classification standards within RMT practice settings.

RECOMMENDATIONS

- Develop clear, profession-specific guidance on contractor vs. employee classification for RMTs

- Increase enforcement of existing CRA and provincial labour criteria within healthcare settings

- Establish confidential reporting mechanisms to protect practitioners from retaliation

CONTEXT

- Misclassification appears to be widespread across multiple clinic models

- Existing classification tests (e.g., control, financial risk) are not consistently applied

- Practitioners report difficulty finding compliant work environments