San Ġwann hair salon wants chosen job candidate to pay €7,000 upfront

In a job advertisement on Facebook, specifically aimed at male third-country nationals, ‘Paradise Empire’ violates Maltese and EU law, experts say.

The salon specialised in braids and wigs is offering a three-year full time contract coming with a salary of €1000 per month.

In its now-deleted job offer, Paradise Empire claimed it would pay for the visa fee, the flight to Malta, and the first month’s rent in Malta.

However, the hair and beauty salon said that the eligible candidate will have to pay €7000 upfront and a €100 “referral fee”.

Patricia Graham, an activist who regularly stands up for foreign residents, first highlighted the questionable job offer.

“Have I lost my mind or is this just wrong”, Graham rhetorically asked in her Facebook group EU Nationals and Malta Residents Advisory Group.

Expats activist Tom Erik Skjønsberg pointed out that charging candidates for employment is against Maltese law.

Skjønsberg also announced to report the salon to the Commissioner for Revenue, Identity Malta, Jobsplus and immigration police.

The Employment Agencies Regulations, covering all recruiting activity of Maltese businesses, state that “no payments or charges shall be demanded or levied on any applicant for employment”.

Another legal issue of the now-deleted job advert was that it excluded non-male applicants, which the Maltese Equal Treatment for Men and Women Act considers to be unlawful.

Workers looking for a job in Malta are often charged thousands of euros by shady foreign recruitment agencies outside Malta’s jurisdiction.

Earlier this week, Identity Malta’s CEO Mark Mallia said the agency does not have any legal authority over practices and actions happening abroad.

Salon speaks of ‘learning curve’

Moments after this article was published, Paradise Empire replied it deleted the job offer from Facebook, and threatened legal action.

Paradise Empire clarified in its statement to Bonġu that the previously required €7,000 upfront payment would have covered the expenses mentioned in the job offer.

The remaining balance, the salon said, would have been fully refunded after the employee had worked for the salon for at least three years.

The owner said they intended no wrongdoing and spoke of a “learning curve”.