by Gary Kelly
Hair industry professionals across many parts of the Eurozone have been expressing their joy at being able to reopen their salons; not so in the United Kingdom. Unless government directives change in the meantime, doors are to remain padlocked until 4th July.
Independence Day in the USA could signify Liberation Day in the UK, for hair salons anyway! After nearly 8 weeks of lockdown, everyone waited in eager anticipation to discover what Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s blueprint for a return towards ‘a new normal’ might look like. The response came in a pre-recorded broadcast on Sunday that was blunt, yet muddled, confused and which lacked any kind of clarity whatsoever. The situation began to look clearer on Monday, when a 50-page document was published setting out a roadmap towards gradual easing of the lockdown in England, which, depending on those infamous 5 tests being met, would see primary schools, nurseries and shops partially reopening from 1 June onwards.
Waiting Game for Hair Salons
The trend in much of the Eurozone has been to see hair salons reopening in one of the earliest phases of the loosening of the lockdown. Already in Germany, Switzerland, Spain and several other countries in Europe, salons are up-and-running. France and Italy are now following suit – all of course subject to restrictions and regulations which vary in the detail from country to country, but which are focused in substance on common sense mutual respect for one another, alongside practices pertaining to personal hygiene and protection.
Those of us with an eye on the situation in Europe therefore thought that the same would apply in the UK, with hairdressers being among the first businesses to reopen. It was therefore something of a body blow to all of us to hear First Secretary of State, Dominic Raab, reveal that they will now not open until July: “From 4 July, at the earliest, we’ll look at other sectors and that will include hospitality, but it will also include personal care and people like hairdressers,” he told Sky News’ Kay Burley
Staff Retention
On the plus side, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has announced that the government’s furlough scheme is to be extended from the end-of-June to the end-of-October and kept at the current rate of 80% of salaries up to £2,500 per month. Good news for employees and employers alike, especially as, from July, the scheme will incorporate the option for a part-time return to work, with the government and the employer sharing the burden of the payroll. However, most official sources in our industry estimate that 60% of UK hairdressers are freelance, making them ineligible for the government’s furlough scheme. While some self-employed workers who are currently unable to work are eligible to claim the Self-employment Income Support Scheme offering 80% of average monthly profits up to £2,500 per month, many freelancers in our industry have fallen through the net, or have found out that their entitlement through the Self-employment Income Support Scheme is somewhat minimal. Furthermore, there has been no announcement as to whether the scheme will be extended for the self-employed beyond June.
One glimmer of hope can be gleaned from the fact that the governments of numerous countries initially announced a salon reopening date which was subsequently revised forward, so salons could get back to business earlier than initially anticipated. UK hair professionals and clients alike are holiday their breath hoping that the same will apply there!
