Who is responsible for hiring, training, and compensating employees at an Aplus franchise?
Aplus Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
- 1.18 Exclusive Control of Premises by You.
- (A) You shall exercise and be responsible for the exclusive control of the Premises and all activities conducted thereon. You shall undertake all obligations hereunder as an independent contractor. Neither you nor your employees shall hold yourself or themselves out at any time as employees or agents of Sunoco.
- (1) You shall be solely responsible for the hiring, discipline, training, discharge, compensation, benefits, management, control, work rules, and payment and withholding of all payroll and other taxes imposed upon or determined by wages and salaries of all personnel used or employed by you, or on your behalf in connection with your business.
- (A) You shall exercise and be responsible for the exclusive control of the Premises and all activities conducted thereon. You shall undertake all obligations hereunder as an independent contractor. Neither you nor your employees shall hold yourself or themselves out at any time as employees or agents of Sunoco.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 68–302)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Aplus's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisee is solely responsible for all aspects of their employees' employment. This includes hiring, disciplining, training, discharging, compensating, providing benefits, managing, controlling work rules, and handling payments and withholdings for all payroll and other taxes related to their employees.
This means that as an Aplus franchisee, you have complete control over your staff but also bear full responsibility for all employer-related obligations. You are considered an independent contractor and neither you nor your employees can be considered employees or agents of Sunoco. This independence extends to ensuring your employees know how to operate the business safely and properly, including safe cash handling and employee training.
Furthermore, the FDD states that if you lease two or more Aplus stores, you must be present at each store from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on at least two weekdays and ensure that at least one employee at each location has successfully completed the Aplus Training Program. You have four months to replace a trained manager who is no longer employed by you. This highlights the importance of ongoing training and management of your staff to maintain operational standards.
In summary, being an Aplus franchisee requires a significant commitment to managing and training your employees, as you are fully responsible for all employment-related matters and must ensure your staff is adequately trained and supervised.