Equinox Washington, DC

Unpaid 45-Minute Massage Demo — Evaluated by Non-LMT Experience: I interviewed for a Licensed Massage Therapist position at Equinox's Wisconsin Ave location and was disappointed by how the process was handled. Despite being a licensed LMT (DC) and graduate of a respected massage therapy institute, I was required to perform a 45-minute unpaid massage session as part of a "demo" — which is far beyond what most professionals consider appropriate. I clearly communicated that I only offer 25–30 minute demos as a professional boundary. This was disregarded, and I was pressured into a longer session. What concerned me most was that my hands-on skills were evaluated by a licensed esthetician, not a fellow LMT. This raises serious scope-of-practice questions. After the session, I received no meaningful feedback and was simply sent a generic rejection email. The demo seemed to benefit the staff more than it served as a legitimate skills assessment, which left me questioning whether this is a pattern of extracting free labor under the guise of hiring. As a new LMT working hard to protect my body and time, this process felt exploitative and disrespectful. I’ve submitted a formal complaint to the DC Board of Massage Therapy and encourage Equinox to revisit its hiring practices for wellness professionals.