Team effort

As salons and spas make plans to reopen once allowed to do so, many employees feel anxious about returning. Eve Oxberry gets some expert advice on how to reassure them about the safety of both their health and their jobs

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Share a clear plan “As well as reassuring therapists that you will follow the guidelines and that their safety is paramount, you need to tell them you’ll be looking at the finances too so that they will have a salon to come back to, not only in month one or two but that they’ve got a future with you,” says Sara Shoemark, who owns three Glow Beauty salons in the North West. “Just be positive and in control. You might be feeling overwhelmed with anxiety but try not share that too much with your team. You can share the challenges but they need to know you’re there for them. It’s like a parent role, where the child reflects the parent’s behaviour. If the parent’s in control, the child will feel safe. We might not have a firm date yet but share your plan and let them know you will follow the guidelines and you’re not going to put them in a situation that is unsafe for them or their clients.”

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Consider the language you use If team members are finding it hard to adjust at first, or perhaps struggled with their mental health during lockdown, approach the topic but do it sensitively, advises Sam Pearce, founder of industry mental health platform Low Ears. “Rather than saying ‘what’s wrong with you?’, which can sound aggressive or nosey, say, ‘what do you need?’,” she suggests. “It’s about changing the language around asking people how they are without overstepping boundaries, because in our industry the boundaries often get blurred – we become a overfamiliar with clients, for example. But if you change your relationship around communication with both your team and your clients, that can really help.”

Ease them in gently if you can “I think we all miss the interaction and the closeness that you get working in a salon but it’s going to feel strange at first going back,” says Tammy Koslowski, owner of Naf Salon in Glasgow. “Going from not seeing anyone to seeing maybe five clients a day on your own could be quite taxing for anyone, no matter how prepared you are with all your PPE and everything else. We have a team catch up every Friday and recently we’ve joked that we’ll all be socially awkward when we go back to work – the conversation might be dry for a while or you’ll just be saying everything that’s been in your head for the last few months, so people might need a bit of time to adjust.”

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Take time for training “I’m looking at all the advice that’s out there now so that as soon as we have set guidelines, I will have a really good plan,” adds Shoemark. “Then, I’ll talk to the girls, train them, and make sure they are as well educated as they possibly can be, because it’s our teams that will be talking to our clients; they’re going to be our voice so they need to be fully trained and on-board.

“I’ve got a fantastic leadership team as well so they will support one another but I need to make sure that they are confident because when the girls come to them they need to be strong in their responses, so as the salon owner, it’s all down to me

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really and I’ll take that responsibility.”

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Get expert help “Your employees are likely to need extra reassurance that they are working in a safe environment,” says business coach Liz McKeown. “The crisis does not remove your obligation to provide training to staff on how to minimise health and safety risks, or the obligation to keep accident records.

“All of this could become overwhelming – don’t let this happen. Accept this is not your area of expertise. Health and safety is a minefield that’s too difficult to navigate alone. Invest in expert professional support, so you have confidence that you and your business are meeting all the criteria required. Committing to a health-and-safety investment will automatically instil confidence in both employees and clients.”

Shoemark also advises taking advantage of all the support available. “There are so many industry experts like Professional Beauty and Babtac, which have been putting out loads of information and advice,” she says. “I’m also in touch with my suppliers, L’Oreal Professional and Gerrard International, who have bene amazing, and with [employment law specialist] David Wright to make we’ve got the right contracts in place. There are great people out there, so we just need to make the most of all that.”

Factor in more turnaround time “I think we all recognise that, moving forward, there’s going to be longer turnaround times for treatments in order to ensure safeguarding and hygiene, but time needs to be factored in for the therapist too,” says Pearce. “After they’ve done a hands-on treatment, there needs to be time for them to wash their hands all the way up to the elbows and drain it off as a way of cleansing from physical contact, but also from verbal communication. It’s about recognising that the therapist’s wellbeing is as important as the client’s experience, without compromising on anything, and that means factoring in time.”

She adds: “While this year has been incredibly challenging, it’s allowing us to make changes that we may not have had the confidence to before.” 6

Be honest about finances “It’s important to be open with your team because, yes, we’ve had grants available and help with furlough but that money doesn’t last very long,” says Shoemark. “We need to explain those things so everybody understands the financial pressure we will be under. So, we’re going to have to re-cost our treatments taking into account any changes due to social distancing and PPE. If we want to survive, we have to charge accordingly. We’re going to have to charge what it costs us to do a treatment, with some profit there, in order to move forward and the team needs to understand that.

“Shifts might need to change regularly so we may have to open more late nights, or maybe seven days a week. I’m not saying no to anything yet,” she adds. “My team know that sometimes I have to make decisions that I’m not keen to make, but I make them so that we’ve got a future. There’s no point opening your doors and carrying on as you were doing before because it won’t work, so if you have to make changes, the team needs to understand and commit to thse; just as you commit to protect them.”

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