WHAT POLICIES SHOULD I HAVE IN MY SALON?

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Posted February 27, 2017

Last week we spoke about salon policies and procedures and why they are worth having. And that’s all great stuff – but it doesn’t tell you what to do or how to do it. So we are going to tackle the more practical aspects of implementing salon policies and procedures.

The kind of policies and procedures that you need to implement in your salon completely depends on the type of work you do and the business that you run, but there are some general policies that most workplaces should have:

• A Code of Conduct
  Designed to set the standards for staff conduct and general behaviour, this policy is the most important for hairdressers and beauticians as it ultimately defines how your clients will experience your brand and your salon. This covers everything from personal and professional responsibilities and accountability, but also the standard for dress, grooming, appearance and the use of the organisation’s facilities and resources. It also determines how your staff will deal with one another – an important consideration in a large team and for ensuring a harmonious working environment.

• A Disciplinary Policy
  We would all like to believe that discipline is something that we can avoid in business – but often it’s just not that simple. A disciplinary policy is needed to outline the process that an employer will follow in issuing warnings (whether they are formal or informal) or terminating of employment. Any salon policy that is written should make reference to the Disciplinary Policy as to the consequences of breaches of any of the salon’s policies and procedures, with the Disciplinary Policy having the full details for failure to comply. The policy should clearly identify what behaviours may lead to the employee being dismissed without warning to ensure salon owners are covered in the instance of a claim of unfair dismissal.
• A Leave Policy
  This policy outlines the types of leave available to staff and the processes that must be followed to access said leave, whether its sick leave, personal or carers leave. It should also outline which leave circumstances will require supporting evidence or documents (like doctor’s certificates or carers certificates) as well as specifically what evidence that is required as proof of illness or injury that allows the employee to access the leave.DID YOU KNOW: Under the Fair Work Act, if an employee is sick, while on a period of annual leave, and they take paid sick leave, that leave will be deduced from their personal or carers leave rather than their accrued annual leave. It’s not a straightforward system, and so to ensure that employers and employees are covered, HABA recommends a strenuous Leave Policy be created to cover the quite particular ins-and-outs of leave in the workplace.

• Workplace Discrimination, Bullying & Harassment
  Unfortunately, workplace discrimination bullying and harassment is an emerging and ongoing issue for salons in both the hair and beauty sectors. Complaints are growing and need to be carefully investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman to ensure that staff and salon owners are protected under individual state-based anti-discrimination and human rights legislation. A good Workplace Discrimination Policy is centred around a commitment to providing a safe and healthy salon environment for staff and salon owners, creating an environment that is free from discrimination bullying and harassment. The Workplace Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment Policy should define what constitutes acts of bullying, discrimination and harassment while highlighting the impacts that this has on the individual, your business and generally on society. The policy should include ways for staff to report issues within the salon and reference the Discipline Policy to ensure that appropriate actions are taken in instances of these kinds of behaviours.

Each of these policies can be added to or amended as needed by the growing salon business or in periods of significant change. HABA recommends referencing specific legislation for your state, and specific legislation as set out by the Fair Work Act in developing the right policies and procedures for your salon. These documents should be prepared so that both you and your salon are protected from claims and so that you can create a safe, positive working environment for your staff – without whom, none of our businesses would function.

HABA has prepared a series of templates for writing salon policies and procedures and we invite our members to access and download these templates to write policies and procedures that are created by a team of Industrial Relations experts, written to best practice. If you have any issues around staff or salon policies and procedures, the team at HABA are here to help. Just call (02) 9221 9911 or email info@askhaba.com.au