Salons, spas, barbers call on Whitmer to reopen industry

Salons, spas, barbers call on Whitmer to reopen industry

A coalition of barber shops, spas and salons today urged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to allow them to reopen with precautions in place.

In a letter to the governor, more than two dozen operators of 350 facilities across the state uniting as Safe Salons of Michigan “respectfully ask …. our state health officials and others involved in the decision-making process to reopen salons, spas and barbershops as soon as possible.”

“Michigan’s licensed cosmetologists, barbers and their team members are capable, ready, and excited to get back to work meeting the needs of our clients,” said Lisa Dennison, regional director for Michigan Supercuts and Cost Cutters salons across the state. “Our salons have always met detailed health and safety standards, and we’ve developed a comprehensive plan to go even further to keep everyone who walks through the door healthy. We urge Governor Whitmer to lift her ban on our jobs immediately.”

The barbers and cosmetologists wrote that they had completed a restart workgroup process with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and have “always met detailed health and safety standards.”

“These highly skilled, safe, and healthy professionals are capable, ready, and excited to get back to work meeting the needs of our clients. We strongly believe that our industry operates more safely when open, in sanitary and regulated facilities,” they wrote.

Grand Rapids-based Jeffrey Richard Salon, for example, issued an update to customers last week detailing protocols when the state allows it to reopen. Measures include health screenings of staff, required face coverings and eliminating blow drying.

As some industries and retailers re-open with conditions in the COVID-19 pandemic, barber shops and salons across the state remain closed under the governor’s stay-at-home order that was extended last week until June 12.

The salons and barbers noted that they had worked with LARA to develop a “reopening plan built on 8 pillars for operating safely.”

“These pillars include detailed requirements and industry best practices in the areas of worker safety, customer safety, social distancing, hygiene, sanitation, PPE use, case monitoring and facility closure. The plan is modeled after efforts in 36 other states, including our neighbors in Ohio,” their letter states. “These states are currently open, operating safety, serving customers and allowing professionals to work safely.”


EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated from its original version.