Australian Hairdressing Council
releases results of industry survey detailing the impact of COVID on business, staff and mental health
During 2020, the Australian Hairdressing Council (AHC) actively engaged with the Industry to ensure they were well informed and supported. Businesses, Australia wide, have traded in a year of droughts, bushfires floods, cyclones, hail storms and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Intrinsically connected to the health and wealth of the Australian hairdressing industry, the AHC has released the results of a recent survey, getting inside the minds and businesses of the local industry as they navigate through what for many has been their most challenging 15 months yet.
"To gain a clear report on how small businesses have coped during 2020, the AHC surveyed all States covering hairdressing, beauty and barber salons, with responses from 360 business owners," explains AHC CEO Sandy Chong. "This report will be shared with the industry and Government bodies to assist and understand our industry in the future during challenging times."
Some of the key facts include:
- 75% of businesses closed due to COVID-19
- 20.4% of salons were required to terminate staff during the pandemic
- 77.6% of salon businesses were not eligible for the JobKeeper extension
- 79.4% of business owners experienced stress due to uncertainty during 2020 while 36.5% suffered mental health issues and 23.1% from depression
- 54% of business owners engaged with staff via text message while closed versus 24.3% via Zoom
- 46.2% have employed a new apprentice in the last 12 months, while 40.3% have not
- 31.9% discovered employees were not willing to work on JobKeeper
- 22.5% found staff to be servicing clients outside of the salon
"There were a number of standout points in this survey," says Chong. "As an industry association, we found that non-members of the AHC were less confident about their business future, whereas AHC members were feeling more positive. Much information during the pandemic was sought via Facebook, and much information on some pages was incorrect. The AHC had direct links from the Government and so the information we shared became trusted."
Some of the main industry concerns listed in the survey included the volume of hairdressers working from home since COVID, End of Lease Agreement leading to rent hikes, hairdressers leaving the industry for better paying jobs and the 1.5 metre rule's impact on business.
