Who pays the wages and TRE for the Big Blue Swim School opening team?
Big_Blue_Swim_School Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We will send an "opening team" (involving the number of people we determine) to the School in connection with its opening to the public for business for at least three (3) days (typically starting before and continuing after actual opening), as we deem best under the circumstances, if this Agreement covers your first or second BIG BLUE Swim School. For your third and each subsequent BIG BLUE Swim School, we may (but have no obligation to) send an opening team for some amount of time we deem reasonable. The opening team will help you train your supervisory employees on our philosophy and Brand Standards (but not matters relating to labor relations and employment practices) and prepare the School for opening. We will pay our opening team's wages and TRE. However, if you request, and we agree to provide, additional or special guidance, assistance, or training during this opening phase (excluding training relating to labor relations and employment practices), you must pay our then-current training fee in addition to our personnel's daily charges (including wages) and TRE. We may delay the School's opening until all required training has been satisfactorily completed.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 75–76)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Big Blue Swim School's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, for the first or second Big Blue Swim School location, the franchisor will send an opening team to the franchisee's location for at least three days to assist with the opening. The opening team will help train supervisory employees on the Big Blue Swim School's philosophy and brand standards and prepare the school for opening.
Big Blue Swim School will cover the wages and TRE (travel-related expenses) for its opening team. However, if the franchisee requests additional or special guidance, assistance, or training during the opening phase, excluding training related to labor relations and employment practices, the franchisee must pay the franchisor's then-current training fee in addition to the personnel's daily charges, including wages, and TRE.
For a franchisee's third and subsequent Big Blue Swim School location, the franchisor may, but is not obligated to, send an opening team for an amount of time they deem reasonable. This implies that for subsequent locations, the franchisee may be responsible for covering these costs or may not receive the same level of support as with their first two locations. It is important for prospective franchisees to understand the level of support they will receive for each location and the associated costs.