Hairdressers were allowed to come back to work in Phase 2 of Saskatchewan’s Re-open timetable on May 19.
In keeping with this policy, Assiniboia’s Shear Energy on 221 Centre Street in Assiniboia unlatched their doors the next day.
Personal service facilities, including tattooists, hairdressers, barbers, cosmetologists and related businesses were closed in Saskatchewan on March 23. Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab ordered personal services in the province to shut their operations after revising the public health order in Saskatchewan under The Public Health Act.
Dr. Shahab directed the closures to reduce COVID-19’s distribution.
When Krista Kelly padlocked her salon for two months, she and stylists Emily Koller and Kisanne Marit kept away from the business on Main Street until restrictions eased.
“During the closure, I just stayed home with my family for quality family time,” Kelly narrated, also indicating she was glad to be back at work with Koller in conversation on Friday, June 19.
But hair salons in the province are run differently now as they are in many other parts of the world.
By late June, Kelly, Marit and Koller are still at the salon, but their jobs have radically transformed in compliance to federal and provincial regulations.
Masks, face shields and protective aprons are mandatory for stylists in Saskatchewan and across the country until restrictions alleviate. Work at hair salons in the province are also more labour intensive, as sinks, styling stations and other areas of Shear Energy are regularly sanitized to address possible traces of COVID-19.
“We’re keeping our stations sanitized in keeping with the guidelines of keeping distances of six feet or better between clients and stylists wear protection,” Kelly said, adding “We require our clients to wear masks.”
In Saskatchewan, clients are requested to attend appointments alone, wait outside the salons until stylists are available, or sit in socially-distanced seating areas.
Before entering the salon, clients are required to sanitize their hands.
“Hopefully, some of these procedures will be lessened soon,” Kelly expressed then talked about the mask requirements and other impositions such as the inability to serve coffee and offer additional customer perks that once gave Shear Energy a homelike atmosphere.
“It feels surgical to me,” Kelly said as she discussed how work routines have been altered to tackle COVID-19 transmission.
Customer service routines were changed as a response to the coronavirus, slowing the flow of regular day-to-day business at Shear Energy.
“We used to double-book,” Kelly explained. “But now, there’s one client per stylist until the service is finished.”
Imposed limitations by federal and provincial governments, business at Shear Energy have also reduced the flow of the salon’s earnings, but business has been regular.
“We’ve been very steady. Our clients have been great,” Kelly said. “But we’re only doing half as much because of the restrictions. There’s also more time spent with cleaning and sanitization.”
Yet, despite the current economic slowdown and other related complications, Kelly is optimistic.
“I think we’ll keep plugging along,” she said when portraying Shear Energy’s future. “Our clients are very supportive.”
