British Beauty Council patron, L’Oreal has now issued their Back to Business Salon Support Guide to support hairdressers and barbers in their return to work during Covid-19.

L’Oreal opens their guidance with an introduction from Managing Director Béatrice Dautzenberg:

“We are thinking of all of our hairdressing partners and your loved ones at this time. We want to affirm our total solidarity and are here to help you to navigate this challenging moment. Together with Industry Trade Bodies, we are working to provide useful information to aid the preparation for the safe re-opening of salons – with care for you, your teams and your clients as the number one priority.
We know that salons and hairdressers are the beating heart of the community and we are all looking forward to coming together again. Until this time, we share our love and wish everyone well. We will meet again soon. – Béatrice Dautzenberg, Managing Director – L’Oréal Professional Products Division UK & Ireland

Read on for the full guidelines:

LAST UPDATED: 13/05/20

Whilst salons and hairdressers are all looking forward to getting back to work and getting businesses back on track, the new Covid-19 context is very different to how businesses have been used to operating. New health and safety standards will need to be adopted to help ensure the health and safety of team members and clients alike, and specifically on hygiene practices. Please refer to the hygiene section of this guide for more details on hygiene recommendations.

This guide is designed to share advice for salons and hairdressers to help with preparations for re-opening under the circumstances of Covid-19.

PLEASE NOTE: This guide will help to share recommendations to support salons with health and safety measures they may need to adopt upon re-opening.

Presently, the UK Government has released a provisional and conditional re-opening date and there have not been any specific government-issued guidelines for the hairdressing or barbering sector.

Presently, the Irish Government has released a provisional and conditional re-opening date and there have not been any specific government-issued guidelines for the hairdressing or barbering sector. However, some general return to work safety protocol guidance has been released: https://dbei.gov.ie/en/Publications/Return-to-Work-Safely-Protocol.html

This guide includes recommendations only, and not mandatory UK or Irish Government guidelines. It is always recommend that Government guidelines are followed and that salons regularly check the official Government website for their region.

CONTENTS

SECTION 1: What is L’Oréal doing to support?
SECTION 2: In Salon Hygiene Guide

• Modify the Salon Operations
• Modify Personal Hygiene
• Modify Workplace Hygiene

SECTION 3: Team Organisation
SECTION 4: Salon Organisation
SECTION 5: Communicating with your clients
SECTION 6: Other things to consider upon re-opening.

SECTION 1: What is L’Oréal doing to support?

Throughout this exceptional time, L’Oréal has been and will remain to be open to all of our clients. As your business partner, we want to help you weather this period by offering support and solidarity.

Whilst salons remain closed, we have frozen all outstanding payments due from end of March.

We developed a Salon Support Guide to help you navigate things like the governmental schemes available to you and covered topics such as Social Media in the time of a crisis.

Our education platform Access has remained open and we have developed new education content across all of our brands’ social media channels too, to help keep you informed, engaged and in touch.

Our Distribution Centre in Bury, Manchester, has also remained open throughout this period to ensure that they are fulfilling any orders you might have placed. They will continue to remain open, and all orders prior, during and after salons re-opening will be fulfilled.

Please note – at this exceptionally busy time, we cannot change the address on your account to allow your order to be delivered to an alternative address.

HAND SANITISER & MASKS
L’Oréal Professional Products Division has produced units of alcohol-based purifying hand gel and has procured surgical grade masks. These products will soon be available for salons to order.

L’Oréal Professionnel disposable masks 1 box x 50 units

L’Oréal Professionnel Purifying Cleansing Gel 400ml

PLACING STOCK ORDERS
If you would like to place an order you can do so by:

1. Contacting Customer Care – ppdcustomercare@loreal.com / 0800 030 4034 (UK) / 1800 535 616 (IRE)
2. If you are a L’Oréal partner, based in UK and have a salon, you can log on or create an account on L’Oréal Partner Shop, which is available 24/7. For help on accessing this platform please see instructions below

 

Introducing L’Oréal Partner Shop, our brand new online ordering website, created exclusively for you to make the dull task of placing orders simple and fast so you can focus on what’s really important to your salon.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT

• L’Oréal Partner Shop is available 24/7, from any device. You can also choose a convenient delivery date, track your orders and even select Next Day Delivery at checkout (order by 11am Mon-Fri for delivery the next working day. Price of £5.79 excludes VAT).
• Full visibility of all products clearly displayed in relevant categories with easy to use search box functionality to help you find your products fast.
• L’Oréal Partner Shop will allow you to create personalised multiple user accounts for each member of your staff in your salon, each with relevant access rights!

REQUEST AN ACCOUNT TODAY AT www.lorealpartnershop.com/uk

SECTION 2: In Salon Hygiene Guide

SUMMARY OF THIS SECTION:

• Modify the Salon Operations
• Modify Personal Hygiene
• Modify Workplace Hygiene

Hygiene Guidelines for Hairdressers, Salons and Freelancers in the context of Covid-19
L´Oréal has developed hygiene guidelines for hairdressers and salons to adopt in order to help salons get back to business once the Covid-19 lockdown eases. In establishments open to the public, measures must be implemented to minimise contact between people (such as staff, customers and clients), and to increase the hygiene habits in place. These guidelines are written with a view of protecting our salon partners, their staff and customers with health & safety being the number one priority. Please respect government guidelines with regards to the timings about when salons should reopen and encourage your staff to self-isolate at home for 7 days should they experience suspected symptoms of Covid-19.

There are three areas of focus to concentrate on when discussing hygiene in the salon: the salon operations, personal hygiene (of employees and clients) and workplace hygiene. We will go through each area now in detail.

1.    MODIFY THE SALON OPERATIONS

RESPECT SOCIAL DISTANCING

• We would recommend that you ensure everybody is keeping the minimum safety distance between staff and clients during their time in the salon
• This means maintaining a physical distance of at least 2 metres between an individual and other clients/workers, including in the reception area, the backwash and also at the work stations
• Please also respect these distances in break out / staff room areas, and ensure that disinfectant solution is also readily available to clean all surfaces
• Try to restrict non-essential physical contact as much as possible. Avoid hand shaking, hugs and kisses
• Even though it’s not easy whilst working on hair, try to adjust your body position to help ensure space / distance.

ADAPT THE RULES OF THE SALON
To respect the social distancing rules it’s necessary to ORGANISE THE PEOPLE FLOW in the salon:

• Try to stagger scheduled appointments to reduce the number of people in the salon at any one time. You will also need to factor in additional time between appointments to allow for the correct cleaning of equipment and the styling station before the next client.
• You could adapt the opening hours – longer hours means you can see your clients but have less people in the salon at any one time. You could also have a ‘vulnerable people’ hour first thing in the morning once the salon has been deep cleaned and before the salon is busy with clients
• Organise your staff into two or more teams to allow rotation – then if someone needs to self-isolate due to suspected Covid-19, that team will self-isolate also but the business can still remain operational with the other team

• Re-organise the styling stations – have greater gaps between them or leave certain stations empty to respect the distancing rules
• Organise staff break rotations in the staff room to ensure not too many people are there at any one time
• If you want to keep a waiting area, you would need to be sure your surface is large enough to respect social distancing, if not you can establish a queuing system or waiting zone outside if someone arrives early for their appointment. In that case you could mark out this zone or appropriate spacing using tape on the ground so it is clear for clients where they would need to wait.

Try to develop a SPECIFIC WELCOME for your clients:

• Try to keep the door open to minimise people having to touch the door handle and also to increase ventilation
• Inform your clients of the new hygiene rules both in advance of their salon visit and upon arrival. Visible posters for clients promoting hand hygiene and physical distancing in the salon are recommended and also on the door/window. You can also pre-warn or inform clients via message when confirming the appointment or on your website and using your social networks
• Ask your client to take care of their own coat, umbrella etc. in the cloakroom or provide additional storage facilities. Respect distance between items or else provide a plastic cover like a suit bag for their personal items
• In this moment it is probably better to not offer food or coffee. For water, you could offer small disposable bottles or disposable cups for hot beverages if you want to continue to offer them, which should all be disposed of correctly.

ADAPT THE DIAGNOSIS / CONSULTATION

• Remove all easy touchable items such as magazines, tablets and written information e.g. menus
• Diagnosis tools such as Style My Hair Pro on your phone or tablet can only be used by the hairdresser and must be disinfected after each use
• Why not have a virtual consultation? This saves time between appointments and it is reassuring for the client to know that they can spend less time in the salon during this time.

REFRESH THE SERVICE MENU

• Clearly indicate the duration of the each service. We have been advised from other countries post-lockdown that express services such as dry cuts or a quick root retouch are preferable as some clients want to limit their time spent in salon
• Another option, if express services aren’t suitable, is to divide longer services in to two visits e.g. by splitting services – cut one day and colour on another.

ADAPT THE RETAIL AREA

• Clean and disinfect all shelving; products are considered clean until someone touches them, so establish a cleaning or disinfection routine / rota
• Please ask and inform your clients not to touch products, only the stylist / hairdresser should touch them to sell them
• Remove testers. Some visual instructions about how to use the products or their main benefits could be useful to the client.

CONSIDER YOUR METHOD OF PAYMENT

• Many businesses are becoming cash free and are taking debit / credit payments only. Is this an option for you?
• Could you offer digital receipts vs paper ones?
• Clean /Disinfect the touch pad buttons once the client has used it.

2.    NEW GUIDELINES FOR PERSONAL HYGIENE

REPEAT AND PROMOTE REGULAR HAND WASHING – RECOMMENDATIONS MADE ON ADVICE FROM WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION

One of THE MOST IMPORTANT things to prevent Covid-19 from spreading is to WASH YOUR HANDS REGULARLY OR USE HAND SANITISER/RUB.

• Always wash hands before and after if working on a client
• Always wash your hands after touching money/credit cards, door handles
• Always wash your hands before touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
• Always wash your hands if your hands are contaminated with respiratory secretions, such as after coughing or sneezing
• Always wash your hands before and after using the bathroom, and before and after eating or drinking.

To ensure the ease & effectiveness of these rules it´s better to have your hair tied back in a ponytail, and avoid wearing false nails or jewellery specifically on your hands.

• Don’t touch your face, nose (if you do it please wash your hands again)
• Cover coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow or upper arm
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or paper towel when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of used tissues or paper towels in a covered bin with a plastic bin liner, and then clean your hands thoroughly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHY, WHEN & HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HANDS PLEASE SEE HERE.

HOW TO CLEAN / DISINFECT YOUR HANDS PROPERLY

• Wash your hands frequently with liquid soap and water, scrubbing, and then dry them with paper towels and throw them into a covered bin with a plastic bin liner
• Alcohol-based hand rub must be used frequently when there is not visual dirt on the hands.

Follow these visual instructions or this video from the WHO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PmVJQUCm4E.

How to Handwash & Handrub?
WASH HANDS WHEN VISIBLY SOILED! OTHERWISE, USE HANDRUB.
Duration of the entire procedure: 40-60 seconds. The full guide visual can be found at: https://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Hand_Hygiene_Why_How_and_When_Brochure.pdf

TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLIENT
Perform hand hygiene in front of your client to show them that hygiene is a priority.

Offer your clients the opportunity to clean their hands with hand sanitiser located at different disinfection points:

• Next to the door – mandatory usage upon arrival and before departure
• On the styling station counter/ in the working area
• Encourage the use of hand disinfection solution even if they are wearing their own gloves.

CONSIDER WEARING A MASK OR A FACE COVER
Although the use of masks is not currently recommended by the Government or by the World Health Organisations unless in very specific circumstances, you may elect to WEAR MASKS OR FACE COVERS to further mitigate risk of infection, especially when working in less than 2 metres proximity with others.

Please note, masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.

Please see here for more details: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when- and-how-to-use-masks.

FOR YOUR CLIENTS – you may provide a mask also to your clients to increase the level of protection, especially when the safety distance is not optimal.

• Please note, according to the WHO, it is preferable to use a mask with ear loops to keep it in place and also so as to disturb the client as little as possible during their service.

Should you elect to wear a mask, it needs to be disposed of correctly.

As per the WHO guidelines, here is how to WEAR / TAKE OFF A MASK PROPERLY:

• Before putting on a mask, you must have properly cleaned hands from using either an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
• Cover the mouth, nose and chin with the mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask
• Avoid touching the mask when using it; if you do, clean your hands with either an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
• Don’t hang the mask from your neck, and don’t put it up on your head
• Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
• To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin with a plastic bin liner; clean hands with either an alcohol- based hand rub or soap and water.

Click here to see what the correct way is to wear and take off masks: https://youtu.be/M4olt47pr_o.

USE OF GLOVES
Be aware that WEARING GLOVES IS NOT A SUBSTITUTION OF HANDWASHING.

Wearing disposable gloves can give a false sense of security and may result in staff not washing hands as frequently as required. HANDWASHING is a greater protective barrier to infection than wearing disposable gloves.

• For some services where you are already using disposable latex or vinyl gloves, take into account that gloves may be used but must be changed frequently and hands must be washed when gloves are removed
• You can also use disposable gloves, for cleaning styling stations, tools, and during waste or laundry management, when the purpose of using gloves is to reduce the risk of direct contact with potential contaminated surfaces
• Gloves must be changed after carrying out other activities, such as opening/closing doors by hand, and emptying bins, after each client.
• You should avoid touching your mouth and eyes while wearing gloves
• Please see this image here below from WHO on how to use disposable gloves properly.

How to Don On & Remove Gloves
For more information on when and how to use gloves correctly to minimise infection risk please see here the guidelines from the WHO.

THINK ABOUT HAVING A DEDICATED UNIFORM / WORK CLOTHES
ALL WORK UNIFORMS / CLOTHING SHOULD BE WASHED DAILY and kept clean, in a closed / protected place.

• It is recommended to use them only for work
• After using, place them in a bin liner, until washing, and then put them directly into a washing machine with warm water at 60−90°C (140−194°F) laundry detergent is recommended. The laundry can then be dried in accordance with routine procedures
• Workers could have a pair of shoes which are ‘work only’ or else consider using disposable shoe covers.

FOR CLIENTS you may consider:

• Disposable shoe-covers may be considered as an additional measure for increased hygiene in the salon
• In this case, if you choose to offer this, prepare an area at the entrance for this purpose with a chair that should be cleaned after each use and an alcohol solution for your client’s hands.

SINGLE USE FABRICS FOR EACH CLIENT
You can either USE DISPOSABLE FABRICS (single-use gowns, single-use technical collars, towels…) in order to prevent contamination, or apply a WASH AFTER USE policy on all customer ‘fabrics’ e.g. gowns, towels, etc. Either way employ a one new item for each client strategy on either disposable or reusable items.

• The stock of these items should be kept clean in a closed clean cabinet/container/place.
• Throw away disposable items in a covered bin with plastic bin liner after each use.

If you are not using disposable fabrics, you should VIEW THEM AS SINGLE USE for each client (gown, cap and towels) before washing them correctly (please see below) before using again.

• Try to avoid shaking the towels, capes… before putting them inside the washing machine, you can use for example a sticky lint removal roller
• Throw the layer of stick paper from the lint remover away after each client into a covered bin with a plastic bin liner inside
• You might need to order more of everything to be ready, taking into account that these items always be washed after each use and kept clean in a closed clean/cabinet/place until it is next used.

HOW TO WASH FABRICS/TOWELS/CLOTHING PROPERLY:

• After using them once time, put them into a closed bin within a closed plastic bin liner, until washing. Then put the fabrics into the washing machine, with warm water at 60−90°C (140−194°F) common laundry detergent is recommended
• The laundry can then be dried according to routine procedures
• Throw the bin liner away properly and wash your hands.

3. NEW GUIDELINES FOR WORKPLACE HYGIENE

TOOLS: 1 CLEAN KIT OF TOOLS PER HAIRDRESSER (combs, scissors, clips, brush etc…)

• Try not to share items between hairdressers – they should ideally have their own kit
• Items should be cleaned after use on each client
• Never share items between clients before thorough cleaning
• After use, you could put all items on a tray (plastic or stainless steel) in order to see what has been used and needs cleaning, and then clean/disinfect the tools and the container.
• Keep the clean/disinfected tools in a clean/closed place until the next use. Alternatively you could replace them on their clean tray and cover until use on next client.
• It´s better not to use a barber/hairdresser tool belt during this time, in order to make it easier to disinfect the tools and their containers
• Any containers/trays/bowls used for storage of tools/products should also be cleaned and disinfected.

HAIR DRYERS, HAIR STRAIGHTENERS should be disinfected after each use.

HOW TO WASH / DISINFECT TOOLS PROPERLY

• Disinfection only works on a clean item, so cleaning before disinfecting is always the first step
• Currently, WHO/OMS recommends using for disinfection after cleaning: 70% ethyl alcohol to disinfect small areas between uses, such as reusable equipment or tools (for example, combs, scissors, clips…).
• Sodium hypochlorite (more commonly known as bleach) at 0.5% (equivalent to 5000 ppm) for disinfecting surfaces could be also used
• Whether you choose to use a spray or a wipe; it´s important to follow the manufacturer instructions, respect contact time (how long it should be left on for) to achieve effectiveness of the product.

PRODUCTS:

• For multi-dose products, always clean and disinfect the external packaging frequently after being opened after every use/with a client (pay attention to the easy touchable parts like the applicator).
• Shampoos, Conditioners, Masks, Styling pastes or Gels: clean hands before using and applying a product or use as much as possible. Use disposable tools like spatulas for taking product from a mask container or even from a tube, preventing touching the product and the applicator
• It is better to never share products or tools during a service with a client or with a colleague but if you have to do it you should disinfect the external packaging before sharing.

CLEAN THE STYLING STATION & BACKWASH AFTER EACH USE.

1 STYLING STATION PER STAFF MEMBER, PER CLIENT & BACKWASH STATION
HAIRWASHING BASIN: Always clean and disinfect after every use with a client.
CHAIRS: Disinfect after each usage with a special focus on the arm and headrest.
STYLING STATION: Disinfect after every use with a client. The floor around the chair of the styling station may also be cleaned by a mop with disinfectant after each client for additional hygiene protocol.

HOW TO WASH/DISINFECT SURFACES PROPERLY?

• Disinfection only works on a clean item, so cleaning before disinfecting is always the first step
• Currently, WHO/OMS recommends using for disinfection after cleaning: 70% ethyl alcohol to disinfect small areas between uses, such as reusable equipment or tools (for example, combs, scissors, clips…).
• Sodium hypochlorite at 0.5% (equivalent to 5000 ppm) for disinfecting surfaces could be also used
• Whether you use a spray or a wipe; it´s important to follow the manufacturer instructions, respect contact time (how long it should be left on for) to achieve effectiveness of the product.

CLEAN ALL SALON SURFACES AT LEAST TWICE A DAY
Things to consider: Can you dedicate one member of staff to cleaning? Maybe there’s someone who used to take coats, make drinks, wash hair. With new guidelines, perhaps you can empower someone with this new responsibility? Alternatively use a rota system with signed checks for each time it is cleaned (a system often used in toilets). This works well as there is accountability but also a visual proof to clients that areas are being cleaned regularly.

Increase the level of general daily cleaning and be sure you clean all surfaces, in particular the ‘high touch’ surfaces at the end of the day. A good guide for the ‘high touch’ surfaces would be a clean 3 – 5 times a day and you can adapt depending on the traffic. (Don´t forget anyway you are cleaning all contact surfaces after each client visit).

First, clean all visual dirt from all the surfaces and floors as many times as necessary, – due to the traffic and at least 2 times a day then wash/wipe the general surfaces with disinfectant. Leave the surface wet with disinfectant for as many minutes as the product instructions require. Include all the surfaces in the salon during the general cleaning

It is recommended to increase the ventilation levels whether through use of air conditioning or by opening doors and windows to renew the air more regularly in the place of work.

CLEANING BATHROOMS:

• Clean and disinfect all surfaces
• Consider using single use items as much as possible. (toilet paper, paper towels instead of cloth towels, wc protectors) (Remove hands dryers if you have to touch them for them to work).
• Consider upgrading to touchless faucets/taps, soap and paper towel dispensers. In addition, consider adding touchless, automatic hand sanitiser dispensers in bathrooms and other places
• Consider upgrading to touchless faucets/taps, soap and paper towel dispensers. In addition, consider adding touchless, automatic hand sanitiser dispensers in bathrooms and other places
• Instructions for using bathroom and how to disinfect / wash hands could be useful
• Use a closed bin with a plastic bin liner inside
• Remove any products that do not belong to the restroom – nothing should be stored in a restroom.

HOW TO CLEAN/DISINFECT DIFFERENT SURFACES?

• Cleaning and disinfecting products are recommended for floors and all horizontal and frequently touched surfaces (e.g., light switches, door handles, phones)
• Visibly dirty surfaces should first be cleaned with a detergent (commercially prepared or soap and water) and then a disinfectant should be applied, according to the manufacturers’ recommendations/instructions. Cleaning may be done with soap/water, chemical cleaner or different wipes
• Disinfect using a properly concentrated disinfectant made for immersion, a spray or wipe. All disinfectants must be registered by the local authorities (EPA, ANSM, AEMPS…) Observe full instructions on manufacturer’s label in particular safety instructions.

Currently, WHO/OMS recommendations using for disinfection are based on:

• 70% ethyl alcohol to disinfect small areas between uses, such as reusable equipment or tools, and surfaces (for example, combs, scissors, shelves, phone, keyboards…).
• Sodium hypochlorite (more commonly known as bleach) at 0.5% (equivalent to 5000 ppm) for disinfecting surfaces could be also used. (Frequently for bigger surfaces as floor, bathrooms, tables…)
• Whether you use a spray or a disinfectant wipe; but it´s important to follow the manufacturer instructions and contact time to achieve the effectiveness of the product.
• Do not reuse disinfectant wipes on multiple different surfaces
• Unless is a manufacturer instruction do not dry surfaces after wiping them down. Surfaces you are disinfecting need to stay wet for time listed on the label.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

• All the rubbish bins should have an inner plastic bag/bin liner
• You should have closed bins for disposable items, preferable that can be opened without hands (using a pedal for example)
• Remove all the plastic bags / bin liners daily or even more if is required, close the bag taking care with the contents, close the bag and throw away properly
• Install new plastic bags / bin liner in each bin, clean the bins, and disinfect at least the touchable parts
• Do not forget to wash with soap and water, scrubbing, and use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, always after managing waste tasks. (please always follow the instructions for properly hand washing/disinfection).

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

• Always follow the manufacturer instructions. Do not use pure alcohol, use Hydroalcoholic solutions of about 70% alcohol content
• Do not use alcohol solutions/wipes on a hot surface. Spray it on a wipe / cloth first
• Do not spray alcohol on electronic parts directly. Spray it on a wipe / cloth first
• Disposable wipes, or tissues with alcohol after cleaning must be thrown in a specific rubbish bin without others materials. Warning – Alcohol can react with oxidants/H2O2 so please dispose of them separately.
• Dispose of the empty detergent / alcohol packaging separately and close it properly before throwing out
• Store these products always closed, away from hot sources (radiators, heating ….), following manufacturing instructions
• Make a plan if someone (staff/clients) feels symptoms of Covid-19 (dry cough or fever) during their time at the salon
• If this happens you must request that the client or employee go home to self-isolate.

SECTION 3: Team Organisation

SUMMARY OF THIS SECTION:

• Staff Survey
• Communication to Staff
• Team set-up
• Opening Hours & Shift Changes
• Breaks
• Changes to job / responsibilities
• Sick Pay
• Recommendations.

Staff Survey
Re-opening the salon under this new context will mean that your staff will be working under very different conditions. Bearing this in mind, it would be advisable to conduct a health and risk assessment as a first port of call. If a staff member has an underlying health condition it might mean that they would be seen as more vulnerable e.g. they are pregnant or asthmatic as two examples amongst many. You should consider whether or not to leave vulnerable staff on furlough (UK only and if they are under your employment) until it is safe for them to return to work.

At this point, a general discussion or survey for all staff would also be advised as a temperature check to understand if they are happy to work under these new conditions, or if there are any concerns in doing so. During this discussion, you could begin by outlining the new measures being undertaken in the salon in order to reopen. It is a good idea to be upfront about the new conditions such as if they are required to wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE), changes to their working hours / patterns, changes to any services or responsibilities they may carry out e.g. additional cleaning responsibilities. The staff can then answer honestly about how they feel working in these new ways. It is possible that anxiety about returning to work under these conditions could possibly be high amongst staff and you should consider how you are going to handle this. Once you have all this information and you know where their concerns lie, you can use this as a checklist to cover off in your pre-opening team meeting, to ensure that any concerns are dealt with upfront.

Communication to staff:
Now more than ever, communicating the right message is key to both staff and to your clients. The team need to understand why these new protocols are in place – for their own and the client’s protection – and they also need to agree to adhere to them strictly if the re- opening is to work and both the staff members and clients are to remain safe and healthy. Hold a virtual staff meeting (until social distancing is lifted, you might consider all team meetings to be held virtually, unless you can guarantee correct spacing for all team members) prior to staff members returning to work. Explain the protocols and new rules and walk them through a day/shift to understand what this will look like. What do they need to do during every client visit? What do they need to do prior to a shift beginning and after a shift has ended? What will their breaks look like? Who will they be working with? What will they need to wear? Give them time to understand and agree to this, as these will be their new working conditions. You also need to give enough notice for these changes. Take legal /HR advice where necessary. Please see below resource for you to consult with on this should you need to.

UK: https://www.acas.org.uk/contact
Ireland: https://www.cipd.ie/news-resources/coronavirus, https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_during_covid19_restri ctions.html

Team set-up:
You might want to begin by deciding what your opening hours will be. We have seen that salons opening in other countries have opened with extended hours in order to see as many clients as possible under the new social distancing rules, there can only be a certain number of people per square metre in the salon at any one time. We would recommend that you check any limitations on opening hours with your local authority.

Once you have determined opening hours, it is worth considering splitting your team in two. This is another initiative from other countries who have already reopened. The purpose of having a Team A and a Team B means that you can control potential infection spread and maintain your business should there be an employee or client who may be infectious. If an employee on Team A or a client being seen by Team A contracts Covid-19 or if they display symptoms, all of Team A would need to self-isolate. Team B would remain operational and your business can stay open. You will need to designate yourself to one team and you will need to designate someone who can deputise your role during the other shift.

Opening Hours & Shift Changes:
Once you have determined your Team A and B (or more and bearing in mind who usually works together on specific clients), you can determine shifts. If you are opening longer days, the shifts are going to look very different. If you are open from 7am – 9pm for example, Team A could work from 7am – 2pm and Team B could work from 2.30pm to 9.30pm (allowing a thirty minute window between shifts to avoid overlap between teams). There would need to be a deep clean of all surfaces and equipment in between shift changes, so you may want to take half an hour out of the diary at this time to ensure it is cleaned correctly. Similarly, you would need half an hour at the end of the day to ensure everything is clean and disinfected ahead of opening the following day.

When considering opening hours – you may want to identify your vulnerable clients or maybe you have front line workers amongst your clients or team. How are you accommodating them? Could the first hour of the day be dedicated to the vulnerable as things are fresh and clean and there hasn’t been people traffic since its last deep clean? Would you consider doing their hair at home should the government guidelines allow? For frontline workers – can you give them priority appointments around their shifts seeing as their time will be limited?

Any changes to your opening hours (including priority hours) – don’t forget to make these changes on your website and on Google My Business. Consider publishing a post on your social media or sending a message via the usual channel of communication you use with your clients e.g. text message. Always keep GDPR in mind at this time and be sure not to share any of your customer data with other customers when sending communication.

Breaks:
When scheduling breaks, be mindful if you have a shared staff room or break room. How big is it? Can it accommodate more than one person with social distancing rules? You will need to stagger breaks to reflect this.

Changes to job / responsibilities:
Consider the changes in responsibility that you might need your team to undertake. It is fair to say that everyone will be responsible for cleaning in one way or another. Please refer to the hygiene guidelines in this booklet to understand more.

You might want to dedicate one person per team, per shift to general cleaning. In the new context you might choose to no longer offer tea and coffee, you will be dealing with more express services if clients want to be in and out quickly so as to avoid additional time spent in salon (a learning shared by other countries who have already reopened) you will have less time spent at the backwash (more dry cuts, more rapid services and less intensive treatments). You will not be able to book another client when a client’s colour is developing etc. Bearing all this in mind, there will be more free time to dedicate to cleaning. Until it is second nature, you might need to book this in people’s calendars / columns so that they know what to do and when. Consider a cleaning checklist that they can check off after they see each client or a roster for common areas much like the type seen in toilets for regular scheduled cleaning checks – can you have this bi-hourly for areas such as reception, colour bar, retail area, waiting area, door handles, toilets, staff room etc.?

Consider appointing a Covid-19 Coordinator for the salon (this could be your role) who is in charge of keeping up to date with any changes in protocol as advised by the government and ensures the salon is complying with the public health and safety guidelines. They would also be responsible for reporting any possible cases to the local authority. They could keep tabs on the PPE levels and other important hygiene materials such as soap, disinfectant and bin liners. In the event of someone becoming ill with Covid-19 symptoms (whether it’s an employee or a staff member), they would also be responsible for contacting both staff and clients who might have come into contact with this person so that they can self-isolate.

Sick Pay

In the UK:
Those who follow advice to stay at home and who cannot work as a result will be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), even if they are not themselves sick (if they are living with someone with symptoms for instance).

Employers should use their discretion and respect the medical need to self-isolate in making decisions about sick pay.

Anyone not eligible to receive sick pay, including those earning less than an average of £118 per week, some of those working in the gig economy, or self-employed people, is able to claim Universal Credit and/or contributory Employment and Support Allowance.

In order to help employers pay those who are on sick leave, the government will bring forward legislation to allow small-and medium-sized businesses and employers to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to Covid-19.

Please note:

• This refund will cover up to 2 weeks’ SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because of Covid-19.
• Employers with fewer than 250 employees will be eligible – the size of an employer will be determined by the number of people they employed as of 28 February 2020
• Employers will be able to reclaim expenditure for any employee who has claimed SSP (according to the new eligibility criteria) as a result of Covid-19.
• Employers should maintain records of staff absences and payments of SSP, but employees will not need to provide a GP fit note. If evidence is required by an employer, those with symptoms of coronavirus can get an isolation note from NHS 111 online and those who live with someone that has symptoms can get a note from the NHS website.
• Eligible period for the scheme will commence the day after the regulations on the extension of SSP to those staying at home comes into force
• The government will work with employers over the coming months to set up the repayment mechanism for employers as soon as possible.

Eligibility:
You can use the scheme as an employer if:

• you’re claiming for an employee who’s eligible for sick pay due to Coronavirus
• you’ve had a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started on or before 28 February 2020
• you’ve had fewer than 250 employees on 28 February 2020.

The scheme covers all types of employment contracts, including: scheme covers all

• full-time employees
• part-time employees
• employees on agency contracts
• employees on flexible or zero-hour contracts.

The HMRC will let you know when the scheme will end.

How to access the scheme:
A rebate scheme is being developed. Further details will be provided in due course once the legalisation has passed.

Please note: Records you must keep
You must keep records of all the statutory sick payments that you want to claim from HMRC, including:

• the reason why an employee could not work
• details of each period when an employee could not work, including start and end dates
• details of the SSP qualifying days when an employee could not work
• National Insurance numbers of all employees who you have paid SSP to.

You’ll have to keep these records for at least 3 years following your claim.

Who to contact: HMRC
In Ireland:
If you or your employee has been diagnosed with Covid-19, or are medically certified to self- isolate as a result of Covid-19, you can apply for Illness Benefit for Covid-19 absences which is higher than the standard rate (€350 per week). You can apply for this whether you are an employee or if you are self-employed.

Eligibility:
To receive the enhanced payment, you must be:

• self-isolating on the instruction of a doctor or the HSE due to being a possible source of infection or diagnosed with Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

and

• absent from work and confined to your home or a medical facility.

An IB claim form must be submitted (on line or by post) and medical certification must be provided by your GP or relevant HSE documentation provided.

How to Apply:

• If you are diagnosed with Covid-19, or advised to self-isolate due to being a possible source of infection by a doctor, the doctor will then complete a medical certificate on your behalf and send this directly to the department. To complete the medical certification, your doctor will ask you for your name, PPSN and Date of Birth
• Alternatively, if you have been advised by the HSE that you must self-isolate due to being a possible source of infection (e.g. contact tracing) , you will have received a text or a letter from the HSE. You will need to submit a copy of this notification with your Illness Benefit application form
• If you are returning from travel abroad and following HSE self-isolation advice, and are not being paid by your employer, you will require your GP to complete a medical certificate on your behalf
• If you require two successive period of self-isolation i.e. four weeks in total, separate claims must be submitted for both periods, with medical certification provided.

Apply Online:

• You can apply for the emergency Covid-19 payment online at mywelfare.ie.
• All you need to apply for the service is a basic MyGovID account. There are no appointments or anything for this. All you need is an email address and it only takes 2 minutes to sign up
• Once you’ve got the basic MyGovID account (or if you already have an existing MyGovID account), just click the button below to apply for this payment
• It is very important to fill in your bank details correctly, include IBAN and BIC to avoid delays to your payments
• Medical certification from your GP or a letter or text from the HSE must be provided. Please ensure that your GP has submitted the certification electronically or by post to the Department. Where you have a text or letter from the HSE please submit it as an attachment with your application for COVID IB
• You can click here to apply online.

Apply by post:
To get a form and apply by post please click here.
It is very important to fill in your bank details correctly, include IBAN and BIC to avoid delays to your payments.

Once both the application form and the medical certificate are received payment will be processed.

You should continue to liaise with your doctor in relation to your diagnosis and the length of time you are medically certified unfit to work because of Covid-19.

Team Holidays:
Holiday pay and holiday cover once your business is back up and running is a large concern for many, and that in part is due to the lack of clarity and advice on the subject.

UK:
First of all, what should you do about holidays if your staff are on furlough? We will outline here what is both known and recommended by ACAS.

Bank holidays – Bank holidays are usually part of the legal minimum 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday.

Employers can still require employees and workers to take paid holiday on a bank holiday, unless they’re off sick. They must give employees or workers notice.

Employees and workers can also ask to take a day’s paid holiday on a bank holiday. If the employer agrees, they must get their usual pay in full.

If bank holidays cannot be taken off due to Coronavirus, employees and workers should use the holiday at a later date in their leave year.

In terms of payment, the employer would top up the 80% to 100% of what the employee would normally have received for holidays including average commission. It isn’t clear if employers pay 100% of the cost or can use the furlough monies (UK only). But if you use the 80% furlough monies and top up and that is wrong you would be repaying the furlough monies for holiday days and you would have paid that anyway for holidays pre coronavirus

Ireland:
Full-time employees are statutorily entitled to payment for all Public Holidays and for a minimum of 20 days annual leave per year (1.66 days per month of employment).

When an employee is on annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave or adoptive leave and the employer’s company policy is to continue to pay the employee on leave their salary for a set period of time, DEASP will continue to pay the agreed subsidy as long as the employer continues to pay the employee, subject to a maximum of seven weeks per year in the case of paid sick leave.

An employee’s absence from work should be explained by the employer in the Comments area of the Wage Subsidy Scheme when completing the Wage Subsidy Review. If zero hours have been worked, a nil WSR return should be made.

When no salary at all is being paid by the employer, no wage subsidy payment will be made to the employer:
Many employers deduct the amount of any social welfare payment being claimed by an employee from their weekly salary when they are absent from work (usually because the employee has nominated their employer to receive their social welfare payment). In this case, DEASP will pay any shortfall between the two payments as a subsidy to the company.

If the amount of the social welfare payment being claimed by the employee (and paid to the employer) is greater than the amount of the wage subsidy that would usually be paid to the employer, no wage subsidy payment will be made to the employer.

Using holiday – Employers, employees and workers should be as flexible as they can about holiday during the coronavirus pandemic.

Recommendations:

• Talk about any plans to use or cancel holiday during Coronavirus as soon as possible
• Discuss why holiday might need to be taken or cancelled
• Listen to any concerns, either from staff or the employer
• Welcome and suggest ideas for other options
• Consider everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing
• Be aware that it’s a difficult time for both employers and staff.

If your employees are furloughed (UK only):
Employees or workers who are temporarily sent home because there’s no work (‘furloughed workers’), can request and take their holiday in the usual way, if their employer agrees. This includes bank holidays. Furloughed workers must get their usual pay in full, for any holiday they take.

Previously booked holidays:
An employee may no longer want to take time off they’d previously booked, for example because their hotel cancelled the booking. Their employer can insist they still take the time off, but it’s good practice to get agreement from the employee. If the employee wants to change when they take this time off, they’ll need to get agreement from their employer.

Requiring staff to take or cancel holiday: Employers have the right to tell employees and workers when to take holiday. An employer could, for example, shut for a week and tell everyone to use their holiday entitlement. If the employer decides to do this, they must tell staff at least twice as many days before as the amount of days they need people to take. For example, if they want to close for 5 days, they should tell everyone at least 10 days before. Employers can also cancel pre-booked paid holiday. If they decide to do this, they must give staff at least the same number of days’ notice as the original holiday request. For example, if an employee has booked 5 days holiday, the employer must tell them at least 5 days before the holiday starts that it’s cancelled.

This could affect holiday staff have already booked or planned and cause upset. So employers should:

• Explain clearly why they need to do this
• Try and resolve anyone’s worries about how it will affect their holiday entitlement or plans.
  

  Guilherme Petri via Unsplash

SECTION 4: Salon Organisation

SUMMARY OF THIS SECTION:

• Health and Safety Site Check
• General In-Salon Recommendations
• Allergy Alert Test

Health and Safety site check:
After reading the hygiene guidelines in this booklet and understanding what this entails, you will need to do a full floor walk of the salon and re-configure it with these hygiene principles in mind.

Waiting Area:
Consider if your salon can accommodate a waiting area with social distancing in place? If not, can you either have a waiting area outside the salon (like we have seen supermarkets adopt) or can you stagger your appointments to limit the need for waiting? For example, if you need 15 minutes after each client appointment to do all the necessary cleaning protocols, can you ask the next client to arrive at this precise time?

Reception Area:
Can you change the reception area? Can you have a plexi glass / perspex screen protection installed like you see in supermarkets to protect the staff there?

Retail Area:
Can you change the retail area? No more testers, signage asking for clients not to touch the products etc.

Styling Stations:
How many styling stations can be operational at any one time bearing in mind the new social distancing rules? Can you mark out the space dedicated to one styling station on the floor with tape to ensure no one walks into it whilst in use to respect the social distancing rules? It is a good idea to mark out areas throughout the salon to make it clear for both clients and stylists alike. Would you consider a plexi glass / perspex screen installed in between operational styling stations protection installed like you see in supermarkets to add further protection?

Backwash Area:
Can you have more than one backwash in operation at any one time with social distancing rules? Would you consider a plexi glass / perspex screen installed in between operational backwash stations protection installed like you see in supermarkets to add further protection?

Staff room:
Is there space in your staff room for more than one staff member at a time?

Colour Bar:
Where do you mix colour? Is there space for more than one person there? Do you need to dedicate one staff member to mixing colour to avoid multiple people being there at one time?

General in-salon recommendations:
Where can you install handwashing and hand gel stations for both staff and clients alike?

Where can you place signage / communications on all the measures you are taking or the rules staff and clients need to follow?

Remove all unnecessary ‘touchable’ items such as magazines, iPads (unless specifically used in consultations and only used and touched by the stylist and immediately cleaned after use), menus, testers etc.

Payments:
You might want to consider moving to card only payments during this time. It would also be worth considering to provide receipts via email to clients to avoid risk of infection. Can you position the card machine away from the reception desk on a table at a safe distance for instance? Please ensure it is cleaned after each use.

Provision Checking:

• We know that cash flow is an issue facing many salons having been closed for many weeks. The first few weeks of re-opening will be critical balancing your outgoings as much as possible. With this in mind, order what you need to order. Carefully check your stock levels and your appointments – do you have what you need to cover these clients?
• Check stock levels of PPE and cleaning equipment. The hygiene section of this booklet outlines the hygiene guidelines of what PPE is recommended. Do you have enough considering staff numbers, client bookings and the recommendations of how often you need to change these items?
• Specifically on PPE (UK Only), from 1 May 2020, PPE purchased by care homes, businesses, charities and individuals to protect against Covid-19 will be free from VAT for a three-month period. This is on top of the import duties which have already been removed to ensure more essential equipment can get to the front line quicker.

For more details please see below: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/treasury-cut-taxes-to-reduce-ppe-costs.

• Have you ample stock of soap, hand gel, bin liners, cloths, wipes and cleaning agents (such as items recommended in the hygiene guide)?
• Have you covered bins (i.e. bins with lids on the top) which can be opened without touching them (foot pedal bins)? Have you enough in different areas of the salon?
• Have you enough of single use fabrics for clients? Bearing in mind the rules of the hygiene guide, you will need to wash items or dispose of them immediately after using on one client. Do you have enough towels? If using cotton towels, do you have a safe space to store clean ones so they will not get contaminated once washed correctly (see hygiene guidelines)? Do you have enough gowns? If not, would you consider using disposable items?

Client Bookings:
–      Priority list – have you been keeping track of who would be a priority once the salon is back up and running? Maybe clients have been contacting you or you could start working one out by checking your client history to see which clients would be overdue or which clients had appointments cancelled due to enforced closure and contact them to see who would like to be a priority for when re-opening takes place.

Your client priority list will also help you begin to build your teams and shifts based on who needs to go when and who usually does their hair.

Booking in your appointments
Once you have determined your priority list and your Team A and Team B you are ready to go. You could fill your diary based on this over a 4 week period, even if you don’t know the exact date of opening yet. You would still know that at 7am of Day 1, Week 1 Mrs X is due for her cut and colour etc. This will help you move quickly once the date of re- opening is announced. Another idea coming from other countries was the option of automatic re-booking for 6 weeks’ time. You keep your spot or you lose it, a little like what supermarkets are doing here for weekly deliveries. You could take a deposit for all bookings to help guarantee that clients respect the appointment but also to help with cash flow. Or why not ask for clients to pre-pay for their entire appointment in advance, similar to a voucher system just with an online coupon / voucher and not a physical paper one. Don’t forget to allow time in between appointments to allow for cleaning and also to avoid a queue of people waiting for their appointment. Time management is key here. At this time, walk in appointments are not advised, try to stick to pre-booked appointments only. You should take bookings only via phone or online.

Finally, it is also a good idea to keep track of who is in the salon and the timings they are there for health and safety reasons. Maybe you could ask your receptionist to keep a log of when clients and staff enter the salon and when they leave in case you need to contact anyone in the event of someone becoming unwell. You may need to ask your clients permission to do this so please mention it upon their arrival in salon or at the time of confirming their booking.

Service Menu:
We have heard from other countries emerging from lock down that there has been a pique in demand for express services. Clients want their hair done but they also want to be in and out as soon as possible. Consider the following changes upon re-opening:

New Consultation – The consultation is a key part to any appointment and this will be especially important after prolonged time since the last appointment. Our learnings from other countries where salons have reopened has shown that digital or virtual consultations can be a great way to avoid additional time spent in salon meaning clients will feel reassured but also this means your stylists can pre-prepare as much as possible prior to the appointment and can get straight to work once their client arrives.

Similarly this should save on time which can be spent on the additional cleaning protocols instead.

When:
We would recommend that these are done for the first few weeks PRIOR to re-opening. Once you have your first 4 weeks booked in, you can start scheduling 15 minute calls with your clients. If you want your stylists to do this directly, you would need to take them off furlough and pay them for their time.

How & Where:
First decide on the best method for doing the virtual consultation. You might need to tweak the methodology depending on the client. Prior to setting up the call try and ask the client to position themselves next to a window or with good natural light so that you can see their hair in the best possible conditions.

What to talk about:
Aside from the usual questions you would ask in a classic consultation, don’t forget to mention the timings of the appointment once you have determined what to do and let them agree if this is acceptable. This could be a good moment to share with them some of the additional precautions they might encounter upon arrival at the salon – although for in depth sharing of these new measures we have some advice on this below.

Other considerations:
Can you ask your client to take an up close picture of their roots to share this with you in advance? Can they send you some photos or share a digital mood board of what they would like to achieve during the appointment? This will allow your stylist / you to prepare for the call as much as possible and to manage expectations.

Allergy Alert Test:
We know that clients have had a prolonged amount of time away from the salon and they may or may not have done at-home solutions during this period of closure. Therefore it is advisable to bring all of your colour clients through the Health & Safety Protocol to determine if they need to have an Allery Alert Test or not prior to their colour application.

As a reminder: The Allergy Alert Test is an essential part of any colour client’s journey and now, more than ever, health and safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. With the prolonged gap between colour applications due to the closure of salons, we would recommend to revisit this process with clients once the salon reopens. We would advise that you continue to use the same Health and Safety Protocol as previously recommended, questioning your clients in the same manner. As per usual, if it has been longer than 6 months since a client’s last professional colour application, we would advise you to perform an Allergy Alert Test. Also, please always refer to manufacturer’s instructions which can be located inside every tube of colourant or on the outer packaging (depending on what product it is).

Allergy Alert Test Covid-19 FAQS:

What should I do if my client has been using a coloured shampoo or conditioner at home?
Generally, coloured shampoo’s or conditioners are retail products, therefore it is the clients responsibility to Allergy Alert Test themselves prior to use and these products do not tend to affect the Health & Safety Protocol and professional services, however, if concerned, it would always be advised to conduct an Allergy Alert Test 48 hours before a colour application takes place.

What should I do if my client has been using root touch up sprays or powders at home?
Root touch up sprays and powders are basically “make-up” for the hair and do not require any Allergy Alert Test so wouldn’t affect colour applications when back in salon.

Please note, that our Health & Safety Protocol is a guide, and if any colourist is in doubt, they should always conduct an Allergy Alert Test or not continue with a colour application.

If you need to refresh you or your team’s knowledge on how to perform an Allergy Alert Test you can find details below:

Please click here for a copy of our Health & Safety protocol. This guide can help you with your line of questioning to determine whether or not a client requires an Allergy Alert Test.

Or to refresh your memory on health and safety in general please refer to below link on Access:

https://uk.lorealaccess.com/learn/course/6825/play

Should you have any further questions on this or anything else surrounding our products please contact Salon Advisory: 0800 0304 034 FOR UK and 1800 535 616 for Ireland.

SECTION 5: Communicating with your Clients

SUMMARY OF THIS SECTION:

• Email
• Social Posts

Communication for clients is key at this time. You will have kept in touch with them via social media, phone, messages throughout the closed period but now you need to consider how best to communicate the new changes to the salon they will experience upon re- opening.

The new hygiene protocol will mean that their visit is different to usual but the most important thing to communicate is that it is in place for their protection.

It is advisable to communicate at every opportunity the changes to the salon. We will be producing support materials (such as in salon posters, door signage, staff room poster etc) that you can use to help you in creating your communication for clients. This will be available shortly through Access, L’Oréal Partner Shop as well as through your Business Partner.

More to come on this soon.

On top of the new hygiene guidelines, it is advisable to communicate the additional changes made to their salon experience prior to their arrival in salon, so that they know what to expect. For example, ensure that they know there will be no magazines, teas or coffees or if you decide to keep them that they will be in disposable cup, no touching of retail products etc. It is advisable to communicate this at all opportunities: on your website, on social media, via CRM – wherever you would usually communicate regularly with your clients.

FOR EMAILS & SOCIAL POSTS:

1.   Open for business
We hope that all our clients have been keeping well during this unprecedented period. We are delighted to announce that from X we will be back open for business and your health and safety is our top priority. If you would like to make an appointment please contact X. We can’t wait to see you.

 

2.    We have missed you
We have missed all our clients and are so excited to be back doing what we love – your hair! If you would like to book an appointment please contact X. See you soon.

 

 

3.    Hygiene is our number one priority
We can’t wait to be back up and running again. Our client and team’s health and safety is our top priority and we have made some modifications with this in mind.

You will no longer be asked to sit in our waiting area and we have staggered appointments to ensure that there is no idle time in salon and that there is no area where people will be in close contact with one another.

• You will be asked to handle your own coat / bag and not to hand it to our reception team
• You will not be offered a beverage whilst in salon & you will not be offered any ‘common touch’ items in salon such as magazines
• You will not be allowed to touch products in our retail area and we will be removing testers. Whilst this area will be cleaned regularly, it is still advisable in order to mitigate risk. If you are interested in purchasing a product, please ask a member of staff for help
• Your stylist will be wearing PPE – this might seem strange but it is to protect both clients and staff. PPE will be changed regularly according to the Government and the World Health Organisation’s guidelines
• All clients will have single use items such as towels, gowns, capes and other items will all have been deep cleaned before use
• All equipment used in your appointment e.g. scissors, combs etc. will have been cleaned / disinfected before your appointment
• All areas of the salon will have been cleaned before you arrive for your appointment – we are allowing additional time between appointments to ensure that each area of the salon is cleaned before our next client arrives

• Opening Hours – you will see we are working longer days. The idea behind this is so we can see as many of our clients as we can, knowing that we will have a lot less clients in the salon at any one time
• You will be asked to pre-pay for your appointment online / pay via contactless to avoid cash transferring hands.

 

SECTION 6: Other things to consider upon re-opening

SUMMARY OF THIS SECTION:

• Managing your cash flow upon return to work
• Opening Checklist
• Back to Business Offers and Suppliers

 

 

Managing your cash flow upon return to work:
Cash flow will of course be tight having been closed for a prolonged period of time and you have more than likely already exhausted your reserves, so the first month back in business could be difficult for you. How can you get help?

Across the board, look for scope to:

• Lower variable costs – what can be decreased / reduced?
• Delay discretionary spend – what can be put off?
• Extend your payables – can you ask for a delay on payments?
• Expedite your receivables / payments due – chase down money owed
• Do a thorough stock check and check this against the bookings for the first month – only order what you need.
• Can you ask for clients to pre-pay or pay a deposit when re-booking?
• Can you look for ways to build on services or upgrade services to get the most from each appointment e.g. add an express treatment at the backwash? Automatically offer retail bundles at end of each appointment with savings?
• You might want to consider looking at your pricing list. With the addition of precautionary PPE and also disposable items such as towels, capes etc. You might want to think of adding a small increase to your services to cover these increases. If you do choose to go this route, be upfront about why you have taken that decision and be clear that it’s not about additional profit, it’s about covering costs. E.g. ‘We have taken the decision to increase our service prices by X% / £/€ X. We have done this to cover the costs of the additional personal protective equipment you will see being used in the salon throughout your appointment. This is not done to make profit but rather to cover costs. We are doing this with our client and team’s health and safety in mind, which is of utmost importance to us during this exceptional time’
• If you are based in the UK, you could be eligible for a Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan. These 100% Government backed loans are available for small to medium sized businesses up to the value of £50, 000. For more details visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-coronavirus-bounce-back-loan
• If you are based in Ireland, you could be eligible for a loan of up to €1M If you are a small to medium sized business, under the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme. The government has repurposed the Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) by offering a partial Government guarantee (currently 80%) to banks against losses on qualifying loans to eligible SMEs. See here for details: https://dbei.gov.ie/ga/A- nDeanaimid/Tacaiochtai-dFhiontair-Bheaga-agus-Mheanmheide/Access-to- Finance/SME-Credit-Guarantee-Scheme/.

Opening Checklist:
Have you:

• Placed your opening order
• Got enough stock of cleaning agents, soap, hand sanitiser, gloves, masks (if using), bin liners etc. Bear in mind that there may be delays or shortages in getting stock of some of these items, especially once the plan to move out of lockdown is announced
• Amended the flow of your salon to respect the social distancing guidelines
• Removed any ‘common touch’ items such as touch open bins, magazines, menus etc.
• Got enough non-touch bins both accessible to staff and clients alike
• Got enough towels, gowns etc. to allow for the single use rule
• Designated your staff into working teams to help with shifts
• Produced clear, visible signage in the salon / workplace to demonstrate the new hygiene policies and to show how to clean hands, use hand rub correctly, dispose of gloves, dispose of masks (if using), etc.
• Adjusted your opening times on Google & website
• Given clients and staff notice on new hygiene rules in place in the salon
• Shared the hygiene guidelines on your website and social media channels
• Ensured your colour clients Allergy Alert Tests are up to date prior to the next appointment
• Booked your first 2 weeks back minimum of appointments
• A cash free payment system in place
• A communications plan in place to tell your clients of the changes they will experience in salon.

Back To Business Offers and Suppliers
We want to help you as much as possible with your ‘getting back to business’ plans and so we have been working on sourcing and partnering with several suppliers to help you get everything ready ahead of re-opening your salon.

Salon hygiene materials:
We recognise that salons will need to adopt new ways of operating upon returning to work post Covid-19. As such, here below are some suppliers who might be able to help you to procure what you need during this time. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list and there are plenty of suppliers who can help you with your requirements. We are not affiliated with the suppliers, these are just some suggestions of some suppliers we have worked with previously which might also help you.

Newera Distribution:
Newera Distribution has developed a face protect specifically for the backwash area. The Face Protect offers protection against contamination from coughing and sneezing when washing, colouring, cutting and performing treatments. Both the stand height and plexiglass plate position are both fully adjustable.

Price: (£225 +VAT)
Call and quote KIELOR25, for a £25 discount.
Who to contact: Ian Biggin ian@newera-products.com 0208 773 7846

 

WENBAR:
https://www.wenbarltd.co.uk/

Wenbar are a bespoke display company that design and manufacture in house so we can make bespoke units to suit client’s needs.

They are currently making hygiene screens, sanitiser stations, face visors, directional signage, directional floor vinyl stickers, back wash screens.

Who to contact: Mark Sparrow – msparrow@wenbarltd.co.uk, 07463229504 John Warnes – jwarne@wenbarltd.co.uk, 07785 426400

INOVSHOP:
Inovshop has developed a suite of materials / items around the new hygiene and social distancing measures which could help to re-open. For more details, please see below.

Who to contact: Paul Dean – paul.dean@inovshop.com, 07590 532 784
https://inovshop-products.myshopify.com/.

Disposable Towels Offer for your re-opening:
Maybe you would like to consider using reusable towels for your clients when working in these new conditions? Here’s another helpful discount for L’Oréal customers.

https://www.easydry.com/

20% discount off all orders with Easydry placed within 1 calendar year from today using the code LOREAL20. Offer excludes all other pricing and offers.

Salon Software Partner offers to help you upon re-opening:
Need help with your re-booking? Why not consider a subscription to a salon booking system? We have some helpful discounts from a selection of partners for you during this exceptional time.

SLICK (UK ONLY):
https://www.getslick.com/

Free core subscription to Slick for 6 months:

• No commitment or cost up front for 6 months. No risk option as no contract & no minimum usage conditions
• Access to the ideal COVID-recovery tools:
  • Blast SMS to all clients to inform clients when the salon is re-opening
  • Accept/manage bookings for future dates in advance of re-opening
  • Pre-payment in advance for bookings to aid cashflow

Offer available for 3 months after re-opening.

Phorest Salon Systems:
https://www.phorest.com/

Installation cost + 2 months free for all 12 month plans (equivalent of Offer available for 3 months after re-opening

Shortcuts Smarter Business Technology:
https://www.shortcuts.co.uk/

-15% on all 3-year plans. Offer available for 3 months after re-opening.

*Disclaimer
This document does not constitute legal or financial or other advice from L’Oréal (UK) Limited and is not a substitute for obtaining independent advice. No representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by L’Oréal (UK) Limited or any of its affiliated companies.

The British Beauty Council Disclaimers
These suggested guidelines reflect an industry that wants to return to work safely and have been created with experts in each industry field and are advisory only. They are also suggested in order to give the consumer confidence to buy our services and goods. If you require more information or have any questions please get in touch by emailing British Beauty Council at joinme@britishbeautycouncil.com. The British Beauty Council will review and update these suggested guidelines regularly and accordingly based on government guidelines and a review of our partners specific guidelines.

These guidelines do not constitute legal requirement, have not been agreed with the UK Government and do not imply or incur any liability to the British Beauty Council. These guidelines are written with a view of protecting our partners, their staff and customers with their health & safety being the number one priority and are based on expert and public knowledge as of 13.05.20. Businesses should continue to check local government websites and guidelines for the most up to date recommendations.