As we continue navigating the pandemic, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month by suggesting spa and salon owners take some time to make employee mental health and well-being a priority. For more than a year, salon and spa staff have provided services during a time of uncertainty and under challenging working conditions, often with increased workplace difficulties and stress.
Wellness had gained a greater focus for the beauty industry in recent years, as salons and spas added new menu offerings to reduce stress and anxiety for clientele. Now beauty business owners can prioritize wellness programs to support their staff’s mental health, as well.
There are several steps beauty business owners can take to promote wellness in the workplace, including:
- Communicate: Perhaps the most important step to keeping employees happy and comfortable is open communication. Make sure staff members always feel heard and empowered to express concerns or issues they may be feeling. A workplace built around strong communication will help limit employee stress and encourage a healthy workplace.
- Host Regular Check-ins: Schedule regular check-in sessions for staff members to discuss how they are feeling, how work is going, their well-being and any other important issues at hand. Regularly scheduled meetings will make employees feel as if their needs are always a focus.
- Emphasize Mental Health Awareness: Make sure mental health is a priority at your business. The stigma around mental health has significantly decreased over the years, and employees should be reminded of this. Salon and spa owners can share mental health resources, such as these from the World Health Organization, and reach out regularly to employees to make sure they’re doing well.
- Host Wellness Sessions: Consider offering staff regularly planned wellness events, such as group yoga sessions and meditation. These offerings will make them feel valued and provide an opportunity for them to relax and decompress during a busy work week. Additionally, ensure employees are taking time off when they can as a way to refresh and focus on themselves, rather than just their work.
Beauty business owners can step up and step in now and help their staff by promoting basic wellness practices at their business – and not just during Mental Health Awareness Month, but also every day of the year.
Kathy Lopez, Account Manager for SASSI, the Salon and Spa Specialty Insurance program at Brownyard Group. She can be reached at klopez@brownyard.com.
