can I tell clients not to bring in sick kids?

by Alison Green on January 16, 2025

A reader writes:

I work at a barbershop that’s under the booth rent model, so I’m a sole proprietor.

How do I professionally tell people to stop coming in sick/bringing in their sick kids? Should I display a sign at my station as well? I don’t understand how a haircut is so important when you’re sick. Not only do I hate how being sick feels, I live with my 86-year-old grandfather and it’s not in my agenda to get him sick. It’s also very inconvenient and puts my job at risk because of having to reschedule clients.

I had a parent bring their super sick kid in on Christmas Eve. He sat in the front the entire time, but was there for a while because I cut the dad and brother’s hair too. The kids came in halfway through dad’s haircut, so I felt obligated to finish his haircut and the other brother wasn’t visibly sick so it put me in a weird spot where I felt I could only turn down the one. Ideally, I wouldn’t have cut any of their hair, but people just don’t seem to have any consideration for others. It’s happened to me so many times this past year.

Honestly, if people come in sick I think it’s fair to refuse service and charge a no-show fee. Even if they gave me 10-minute notice and just let me know they were sick, I wouldn’t charge. I don’t know if that’s how it works though. I’m just tired of people getting me sick. It has happened so many times recently, and it’s almost always from kids.

The easiest way to handle this is when people are making appointments. Whoever takes those appointments should reiterate your policies before ending the call: “We ask that you reschedule if you’re sick or anyone coming with you is sick. Please call if that happens and we’ll get you rescheduled.”

If people schedule online, have a similar policy posted there. Hell, there’s scheduling software that will require clients to check a box confirming they’ve read and agree to follow the policy before the appointment can be confirmed.

If you happen to be the sort of barbershop that has an email list of clients and/or social media, you could also advertise this policy there. It won’t reach everyone, but it’ll help to get people thinking about it.

Whether you have the ability to do any of these things as a sole proprietor in a shop you don’t own is a different question. But I’d bet you have colleagues who would add their voices to yours in pushing for it.

You’ll still probably get clients who come in sick or with a sick kid anyway, because people are inconsiderate. In those cases, are you willing to say, “I’m sorry but I can’t do the appointment while you’re sick/with a sick child here — I have to be careful because I have an at-risk family member. Let’s get you rescheduled”? If you want to offer a discount for the rescheduled appointment, that would help from a client relations perspective, but you don’t have to.

For the sake of thoroughness: you will probably lose some clients over this. Some people will be outraged that they showed up and are getting turned away (although that’s less likely if you warn them about the policy when scheduling them). So you’ll have to decide if you’re okay with that.

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{ 296 comments }

{ 296 comments… read them below }

  1. Successful Birthday Rememberer*

    I know someone with a piercing / tattoo place as the sole prorietor who has signs posted that she has an autoimmune issue and cannot take people who are sick. She also makes people sign a form in advance confirming that they will not come in when they are sick. Her business seems to be doing well, and she enforces the rules pretty consistently.

    1. londonedit*

      I was going to say – the piercing studio I go to has incredibly strict rules about not attending appointments if you’re unwell. It’s all over the website, they remind you when you book, and then when they send you a reminder email a couple of days before the appointment it clearly says ‘Please do not attend this appointment if you are feeling unwell. Please let us know and we will book you in for an alternative date’. And piercing is the sort of thing where people book in advance and they’re excited and a big deal – a haircut is not! If clients have a problem with the OP refusing to cut their hair if they’re ill, then I don’t think they’re clients worth having. Is it really such a huge deal to reschedule a haircut for the following week?

    2. Elbe*

      I think this is the way to go. Saying, in advance, “I have reasons why I need to be more strict with my policy than other people are” is a good way to a) weed out problem customers from the jump and b) give other customers the context they need to respond correctly if appointments do need to be cancelled.

    3. Jaina Solo*

      That is so smart! I’m wondering if my hair stylist does anything like that but I don’t remember seeing a sign. She was one of those more at-risk people with COVID so even with the vaccine rollout she had to be careful. I remember texting her to ask how she wanted to handle my upcoming appointment when my dad caught COVID from a coworker and we found out after I’d spent the weekend with him. I didn’t get sick thankfully, but since it was only a few days away she rescheduled me and all was good, but I wonder how many people didn’t know she needed that accommodation and maybe put her at risk :(

      1. Texan in exile on her phone*

        And I had a hairdresser cancel my appointment in 2021 after I asked if she was vaccinated. (She was not vaccinated.)(I was.)

  2. No show*

    I have no problem with a barber turning away sick clients.

    If you try to levy a no-show fee because of this, however, I would absolutely never use your shop again, give a negative review, and probably simply refuse to pay. (More practically, people will show up sick anyway without telling you.)

      1. tabloidtainted*

        I think No show is referring to the LW saying they’ll charge a “no show” fee for showing up sick.

      2. Bast*

        I think making this well known would help. Many people are probably afraid of being charged anyway, as that is how it works in many barbershops and adjacent services unless the service provider states otherwise. Where I live, most places seem to require anywhere from 24-48 hours notice; anything less you are paying anywhere from 50% to 100% of the full service.

        1. Lisa Simpson*

          I just went to a hair appointment yesterday with flu-like symptoms, because when I contacted them to reschedule I was told the cancellation fee was 50% of the booked services.

          The stylist individually said she was fine doing the appointment if we both masked up, so that’s what we did. We just had a pandemic ffs.

            1. Full of Woe*

              Yep. With no end in sight, despite the adverse effect long COVID will eventually have on the economy.

              1. JMC*

                Thank you. I was just going to say the same thing. It is still a pandemic, and it’s still going very strong. It’s far from over.

            2. Stacey*

              We really, really aren’t. It’s endemic in virtually all parts of the world now. But the vast majority of stylists will charge you for canceling due to illness so OP should make it clear that they operate differently.

            3. Copyright Economist*

              Not in my country (Canada). The government announced the end of the pandemic some time ago. People can still get sick of course, but the pandemic that started in March 2020 is over.

            4. Dog momma*

              And we’ll have to do work around forever bc of it. pandemic or not, I wouldn’t be happy if someone brought their sick kid who wiped their runny nose with their hand and proceeded to touch everything. or coughed w/o covering their mouth…
              and that was before I was immune supressed!

        2. Ellie*

          Yes – I bet people are mostly coming in sick because they think they are going to be charged for the haircut anyway. There are certainly inconsiderate people out there, but most people are still pretty decent. But cost of living pressures are making people do things that they wouldn’t usually do.

          I bet if OP tweaked the wording of their terms and conditions when restating them during a booking (or on the website) to say, ‘If you are sick on the day of your appointment then you will need to reschedule. You will not be charged for your appointment if you are calling in sick’ then that would make a huge difference to the number of people complying with the policy. It would also generate a fair amount of goodwill, which would help offset anyone who took offence to the new policy.

          2. Jillian with a J dammit*

            Ok, but I’ll bet anyone who needs to cancel or reschedule will just say it’s because they are sick.

            1. Nah*

              Better that than LW constantly getting sick and losing business because they’re too incapacitated to work, or worse, passing something along to their elderly and immunocompromised family! I’d eat a hundred lost appointments over sending the person I care for to the hospital (or worse)!

            2. amoeba*

              Yeah, true, but I guess that’s a trade-off the LW would be OK with. (It doesn’t read as if they are charging a no-show fee now, anyway?)

            3. Bast*

              In general, most (but not all) providers that I’ve worked with are willing to provide grace as long as you aren’t normally flaking out last minute. This is where discretion comes into it — if you have someone who generally comes in when they are supposed to, and is on time, that’s quite different than someone who flakes out every other appointment.

    2. Sloanicota*

      As a consultant I can say that trying to collect fees is very, very tough, even if they signed a contract saying they would pay late fees etc. And while people do have no-show fees, that means you have to have a system where you already have their billing info on file and some kind of permission to bill it, which works for my doctor’s office (grr*) but not necessarily a barber in a bigger practice.

      *Nobody likes being billed a fee for an honest mistake or even just a failure, and my doctor’s office irks me because they are often very very late and I’m not given a “credit,” nor did they credit me when they cancelled my appointment last minute.

      1. 1-800-BrownCow*

        Most hair salons I’ve been to make you keep a credit card on file with them in case of no-show and you have to agree to their policy up-front which states charging your C.C. for no-show and sometimes last minute cancellations. Usually you have to provide the C.C. info when you schedule your appointment if it’s your first time there.

        1. The Other Virginia*

          My former salon charged a 50% deposit when booking. If you didn’t cancel withing either 24 or 48 hours, you lost your deposit. I once lost a substantial deposit (their services were in the hundreds) because of last minute car trouble. I was stranded somewhere and literally couldn’t get there. I understand their policy but dang, that’s just insult to injury when already dealing with an expensive crisis. As a long time loyal client, I felt like a little grace was warranted.

        2. Dog momma*

          Mine does that but I don’t put my cc# in when I confirm my appointment. Not paying the extra fee

      2. Sleeplesskj*

        Most of the salons I’ve done business with the last few years require a credit card on file before they will even touch your hair.

      3. The Prettiest Curse*

        I recently did a reservation for Sunday lunch at a pub (one of their busiest times of the week) and they charged me something like £125 in case my group was a no-show. They refunded it afterwards.

        1. TeaCoziesRUs*

          There are a LOT of restaurants in larger cities doing this now. I know in Toronto I’ve seen anywhere from $20-100 as the reservation fee, which then gets credited to your bill. I’m not so interested in FaaaaaaaNcY places, so I’ll usually pass up the ones where reservations are needed and charged, even while I get why they’re doing it.

      4. Massage therapist*

        This is true. As a massage therapist I have no attachment as to whether I collect the fee. But they can’t rebook if they don’t pay.

        It doesn’t prevent the current loss. It prevents future losses from piling up.

    3. Tobias Funke*

      You would rather show up sick even when asked not to, fire them as your stylist, blow them up on the internet, and stiff them…rather than make a two second phone call?

        1. appo*

          It is though. They said they’d take calls to cancel and reschedule. They 100% deserve to charge a fee if they disregard booking guidelines and come in sick. Maybe because I’m a woman and salons for women’s haircuts don’t play about late cancellations/sickness but I’ve been aware of similar guidelines for about a decade now.

          1. DE*

            But the customers are not mind readers. They don’t know that OP will not charge them the fee if they call.

      2. ferrina*

        The stylist is being pretty reasonable- if you could have canceled and chose not to, then showed up in a condition where the stylist could not provide you service, that’s the same as being a no-show. You had the stylist hold time that you would not use, so the stylist was not able to make money by scheduling another customer.

        It sounds like the stylist is even a reasonable enough person that if you didn’t know the policy and apologized profusely, they’d probably waive the fee. But if you know the policy and choose not to follow it, well, consequences of your action. In my industry we call that a PITA tax.

        1. Ellie*

          Yeah… there’s a fair amount of wiggle room when you use the term ‘sick’ though. What if someone walks in coughing and sneezing, but claims that its just seasonal allergies? What if someone quotes a disease that isn’t contagious? Is the stylist going to demand a doctor’s note to prove it? This whole thing is a minefield and OP isn’t in a great position to demand anything, unless they own the salon and/or have special skills that make them particularly sought after. It’s a tough position for OP to be in, but it’s also tough for the client who might have budgeted carefully for a haircut, and whose kid suddenly starts coughing as they’re about to leave the house. Addressing it up front in the terms and conditions is by far the best way to handle this, but there are always going to be edge cases.

    4. Antilles*

      With regards to your last paragraph, I’ve worked with a lot of small businesses/sole props with this sort of policy of charging for missed appointments. In my experience, those policies are (1) rarely enforced the very first time you no-call/no-show and (2) often waived even beyond that as long as you have the decency to at least give them a heads-up rather than just completely no-showing.
      That seems perfectly fair to me.

      1. Ellie*

        It does, but it puts people off from booking with them in the first place. You don’t know how much business you’re losing by having that policy.

        I really do sympathise with trying to make sure people pay for their services. Our local vet has a note up saying that they have 20 thousand good reasons to insist on payment on the day of the visit, as this business has lost over 20 thousand dollars in unpaid bills. It can be tough getting people to pay for something they have already received. I can’t imagine how tough it is to get people to pay for something that they haven’t received (because they were sick). I suspect you just have to build it into your fee structure (i.e. charge everybody more, because some percentage of people won’t show).

        1. fish*

          On the other hand, lots of people are more likely to patronize businesses that are taking precautions that help prevent the transmission of illness. It depends on who they’d rather have as customers.

        2. Elle*

          Charging a no show fee is so commonplace that I’d be surprised if I saw a stylist or similar provider that doesn’t have one. If you’re so flaky/selfish that you won’t book with a business with a policy intended to protect the employees, I don’t think the loss of your business is much of a loss at all

          1. Starbuck*

            Yeah I think a policy like that does a pretty good job of weeding out cheap or inconsiderate clients. Unfortunately it won’t weed out the types who just check all the boxes without bothering to read policies.

          2. Antilles*

            Bingo. The kind of client who takes issue with that kind of policy and refuses to book because they want the flexibility to no-call/no-show an appointment is often a client you’re just as well without.

    5. Stipes*

      If LW makes it clear while taking your appointment details that “if you’re sick, please call and reschedule”, and then instead of calling to reschedule you show up at the barbershop to be turned away, I think it’s reasonable for LW to count that the same as a no-show!

    6. Lizcase*

      my massage place has a no-show fee if you don’t cancel 24hrs ahead of time. They have never charged me if I cancel at the last minute because I’m sick. They would much rather not have sick people than try to enforce the policy. This is the correct way to do it.

      1. No show*

        Not my experience at all. A few years before the pandemic I bought a ticket to a trade association event, ostensibly non-refundable. I came down with flu-like symptoms about two days beforehand. I tried to cancel; naturally, the organization refused to budge, even when I specifically phrased it as “you’re telling me you’d rather I show up sick rather than being reasonable and refunding the ticket.” So I went.

        1. Not A Raccoon Keeper*

          I get this impulse, but that response is just punishing other attendees, including almost certainly immunocompromised ones. I get it, but as someone with a compromised immune system, please check this reaction and don’t punish me or my much riskier family because you don’t want to waste your company’s money.

        3. Looper*

          That’s not what they were telling you. They were saying “We’re sorry you’re disappointed but the money you paid has already gone to our vendors. Please be a responsible human and manage your disappointment and your flu symptoms at home.”

          1. Stay Home Typhoid Mary*

            I agree, Looper. I’m definitely side eyeing all these people who are so willing to make others suffer and be sick over what? Max $100? You’ll purposely infect innocent strangers for $100? It’s disturbing how low people will sell their ethics for.

            2. amoeba*

              Well, “only” 100 $ is a lot of money for a lot of people. And while for a conference, sure, money is already paid, if it happens with a barber, you’ll still have to go and actually have your hair cut once you’re back to health. So if it’s not in your budget to pay twice, well.
              Not that I’m saying you should go sick, but “oh, come on, it’s *only* max 100 $” is kind of ignoring a lot of peoples reality.

              Also, there’s a lot of grey area – there’s not just “perfectly healthy” and “feverish, coughing, sneezing, vomiting”!

              1. Stay Home Typhoid Mary*

                If you can afford $100 hair cut, you can afford to not intentionally hurt people in order to save it. Maybe that person for whom $100 is a lot wouldn’t have gotten sick if other people weren’t so selfish.

                1. Dog momma*

                  I don’t go if I’m sick, but don’t assume that bc I have to pay $100 for a haircut that its no big deal to do so. I pay $60+ tip to my stylist & my hair is almost as short as husband’s. and that’s w/ o color. Its been well over that amount for several yrs for cut and color.

          2. No show*

            That’s not what they were saying at all, at least not if they have a semblence of economic sense. The marginal cost of refunding one ill attendee is miniscule compared to the fixed costs of paying vendors.

            1. Anduin*

              It is, though. And you’re not THAT special, others will also have no-showed, and if they do not enforce the policy then it becomes unsustainable as an event.

              If you cannot abide by the terms and conditions, don’t book.

              (Also, going to the show sick was a jerk move and you suck for doing it.)

      2. MigraineMonth*

        Yeah, I canceled a therapy appointment within the no-show fee window because I’d just tested positive for COVID. My therapist both waived the fee and thanked me for canceling. Just from a financial perspective, I think most high-touch service providers would rather absorb the cost of a single cancellation than a week or two of being unable to work because they were out sick.

      3. Adele T.*

        This is also my experience. I have a chronic illness that means it’s hard for me to identify those pre-sick symptoms, and I often get a lot of grace even when I’m cancelling with only a few hours notice.

        Most other places charge a cancellation fee that’s lower than their appointment fee, and I also appreciate that. We’re sharing the cost

        I’ve had a few places that are rigid about charging the fee, and I make my decision about that provider on a case by case basis that depends on a few factors.

      4. Steve for Work Purposes*

        Yeah same, the places I go are similar. Or once my car broke down on the way to the barbershop and I called and because I let him know, he let me reschedule with no fee. Ditto the time I had to cancel on my therapist inside of 24 hours (inside of 2 hours actually) because I got a searing migraine. A lot of places do have the wiggle room to provide grace and they will where they can, especially if it’s not a repeatedly recurring thing.

    7. Starbuck*

      “Even if they gave me 10-minute notice and just let me know they were sick, I wouldn’t charge.”

      It’s pretty reasonable to do it this way; showing up sick with no attempt to call it is really inconsiderate behavior and I would expect to be charged in that case.

  3. I can't. I'm *cough cough* sick*

    I’m not even sure you need to use your sick family member as an excuse. Regardless of how one feels about Covid, we are living in a “post” Covid world and even the most staunch antis are aware of stricter sickness policies. I think it’s beyond reasonable to not want disgusting contagions near you.

    I love the idea of cancelling and doing a no-show fee. (Maybe change the name to no-show/policy violation fee or something like that.) They won’t try it again. Of course, there’s the risk/guarantee you’ll lose the client, but you can decide if that’s worth it to you. Or maybe a 1 time warning that next time you will charge the fee.

    1. Momma Bear*

      Agreed, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to have a sick policy. My area is currently being hit with a fun combo of walking pneumonia, RSV, flu, whooping cough and, oh yeah, COVID, too. I want NONE of those things.

    2. boof*

      Yes I think given *reasons* tends to only invite arguments and/or questions (mostly from unreasonable people), best to just say “I [or we] need anyone sick to stay home, if you come in sick or with sick people we will have to ask you/them to leave, and you may be charged a no show fee; you will never be charged if you call us before you come in to let us know” or similar.

  4. GoodNPlenty*

    I know it’s a customer facing profession but the writer could try masking and making it a normal part of the process.

    1. Wallflower*

      Nope. Exposing others to sickness should not be normalized in any way. Sick people need to stay home.

      1. Nomic*

        That is absolutely true that they should.
        It is also true that they won’t. So mask up to save yourself and your grandparent from illness.

          1. JB (not in Houston)*

            What? Are you saying that if a precaution isn’t 100% effective in every case, there’s no sense in taking any protections at all? Nomic isn’t saying that sick people shouldn’t stay home, they’re saying that in addition to this police, the OP could take the extra precaution of wearing a mask.

            2. iglwif*

              +1

              We don’t not use condoms because they’re only 98% effective (or whatever it is) at preventing pregnancy, but we might use condoms AND another birth control method.

              We don’t not use seatbelts because they aren’t 100% effective at saving lives in car crashes; we continue to use seatbelts AND we do our best to drive safely.

              We don’t not pasteurize milk because pasteurized milk eventually goes off; we pasteurize it AND refrigerate it AND put a “best before” date on it.

              1. RC*

                Off topic, but it’s like 80% with typical use lol.

                But yes, you’re describing the swiss cheese model of disease prevention (there are some good graphics made out there during covid-times). I’ve come to not trust anyone to not be sick at any given time, which is why I’m still masking everywhere indoors. Hopefully an explicit policy will at least make people think twice about being so inconsiderate though.

                1. iglwif*

                  Thank you! I confess I did not do any research. I’ve been married to the same person since 1997 and it’s been like 25 years since I was even theoretically capable of getting pregnant the old-fashioned way, but I promise I had better knowledge once upon a time!!!

          2. pearl*

            Just because a mask wouldn’t protect someone from getting sick in one particular circumstance does not mean they’re completely useless.

          4. MeepMeep123*

            N95 mask and Stoggle safety glasses. They look like normal glasses. This is what I wear every time I go indoors anywhere that’s not my house.

            This is what kept me from getting sick while I visited a family member in a hospital full of Covid patients. If that combo can stand up to that, it can stand up to a sick kid in a hair salon.

      2. iglwif*

        Right but since people are inevitably going to do it anyway (if not OP’s customers or their kids, then OP’s coworkers or someone else they encounter during their workday), it does in fact make sense for them to take their own protective measures.

    2. Bike Walk Barb*

      A variant on this: Have the policy about canceling, add that if they show up anyway and present any symptoms they’ll be required to mask in order to keep the appointment. Have good masks on hand, wear one while you work on them.

      Not perfect by any means. I’d like to normalize both “don’t go places when you’re sick and spread your germy germs” and “wearing a mask is perfectly fine and a good idea”.

      1. Properlike*

        If I have a cough and I’m going somewhere, I’ll mask myself anyway. But I’m also not ACTIVELY sick — I stay home. People who know me know that I won’t put them at risk.

        I’m a sole proprietor and have a “if you show up sick, I’ll send you out AND charge you.” But I also don’t charge if people call me in advance to cancel. If they’re doing it over and over, then we have a talk. It’s basic consideration on both sides.

      2. iglwif*

        I’d like to normalize both “don’t go places when you’re sick and spread your germy germs” and “wearing a mask is perfectly fine and a good idea”.

        YES THIS.

      3. boof*

        I’m not sure masking while getting your hair cut makes sense/is actually feasible – best just not to. Be different if it was a grocery run or something; someone might legitimately need to get a few things but then they can at least mask + hand sanitize

        1. icanreadthehandwriting*

          My hair salon required masking for quite some time after re-opening. It can be done, just requires the client to hold the mask in place sometimes. Not perfect but possibly better than nothing.

          1. Fives*

            Absolutely this. Once things opened up a few years ago, I would still mask up when getting my hair cut. I would just hold it in place while she worked around my ears.

          2. Chalky Duplicate*

            You can also get masks that glue to your face and don’t have straps that would interfere with a haircut. See “ReadiMask” — note that depending on your skin chemistry you could need either of two different formulations (they have one with a acrylic glue and the other with silicone — they both work for my spouse but only the silicone works for me), and folks with really tricky skin can need to first do an alcohol-wipe pass and then go over with SkinTac, a product specifically for making skin adhere solidly to glues.

            But point is, there are solutions to being able to get a really good mask seal even when one is at the hairdresser.

        2. Caramel & Cheddar*

          Every haircut I’ve had in the last five years was while wearing a KN95 mask (i.e. the ear loop kind, not the kind that goes around the back of your head). It can be done!

        3. Grumpy Elder Millennial*

          It’s totally feasible. Heck, I’ve even had my hair dyed with a mask on. You just have to accept that the earloops are going to get dye on them, too.

        4. Your Mom Though*

          This is flat out incorrect – I’ve been getting masked haircuts (both me and my stylist) since Covid and it’s great.

        5. iglwif*

          It makes lots of sense and is 100% feasible. I’ve had numerous haircuts since 2020 (well, mostly since 2021, I guess, since everything was closed in 2020) and was wearing an earloop KN95 mask for every one of ’em. Most recently last weekend, when I went from collarbone-length to super-duper short.

        6. Not A Raccoon Keeper*

          I haven’t had a haircut without a mask in 5 years, it’s fully possible. I’ve had everything from a pixie cut with shaved sides to mid-back length long thick curly hair and at no point has a mask been a problem at all.

        7. But Of Course*

          Well, I’ve been doing it for four years, so … yes, it is. Maybe you need to hold the mask in place while one loop is off your ear, but it can absolutely be done.

          Most people would just rather share all their germs with everyone around them than take any responsibility whatsoever.

        8. amoeba*

          It was required by governmental decision for quite some time here in Europe after the lockdowns – it’s not 100% ideal, sure, but it worked pretty well!

      4. Caramel & Cheddar*

        Yeah, I was really surprised this wasn’t in the answer. People are going to people, but a lot of people will make better choices when you provide them with the tools to do so. If they’re not going to stay home, then at least reduce the impact if you choose not to turn them away.

      5. All The Tired Horses*

        Great idea about insisting on the client masking. This would minimize the “sneezing/couching” problem raised above

    3. Cease and D6*

      It’s an unpleasant fact, but doing this might cause them to lose customers. Both from the people who get unreasonably hostile about masks, and from people who expect a certain amount of smiley-ness from their hairdressers. Not an ideal solution.

      1. Bitte Meddler*

        I co-own a small business. I am happy to lose customers who don’t care about anyone or anything except themselves.

        The only customers that the OP will be losing are the jerks who show up sick or bring sick children. That’s not a great loss, IMO.

        1. Momma Bear*

          Also, there are people who would be more likely to go if they knew of this policy. It may not be a net loss.

          1. RC*

            Enforcement is key, though— I would happily patronize businesses/events that had a mandatory mask policy far more frequently, but in practice I have tried this and people show up with no masks, noses hanging out, surgicals on their chins etc. Sigh

          2. MeepMeep123*

            There might be many people who are immunocompromised in some way who will actually go out of their way to patronize a masked barber. It might not be as much of a loss as all that.

            1. Texan in exile on her phone*

              I walked out of an appointment with the optometrist when she and her technicians refused to mask. I had been going to that location (through various owners) for 15 years. I called several docs on my insurance list to find one who would mask and that’s where I go now.

      2. Properlike*

        So? There are PLENTY of other people out there who don’t like being inconvenienced by clueless/self-involved people. I would actually be more inclined to do business with someone if I knew they had this policy.

      3. iglwif*

        But on the other hand, they might gain some customers who (like me) appreciate their being aware of how airborne diseases spread and taking preventive measures.

    4. Friendly Neighborhood Masker*

      I would also encourage masking. I definitely think sick folks should not come in for a haircut and should mask themselves if they have to go out, but the fact of the matter is, many people don’t care. They prioritize themselves and their own schedules, and if they need a haircut, they go and don’t think about the stylist or the other patrons.

      Wearing a good mask and improving shop ventilation with air purifiers or outdoor air when possible, will do a lot to help you from getting sick because sometimes people are also contagious, but don’t have symptoms yet.

      1. Wallflower*

        Not all illnesses are contained with a mask, not even covid.

        There’s a nasty norovirus making rounds… highly contagious, even after the urgent symptoms subside. A mask does nothing. Ditto for shingles, etc.

        If sick, stay home.

          1. Properlike*

            Norovirus gets everywhere easily through contact and lasts a long time on other surfaces. You touch your face/your eyes/get any of the virus on your hands, you can transfer it to other surfaces. Hand sanitizer doesn’t kill it; soap and water does.

            However, shingles (*not* chicken pox) is only contagious if you touch the fluid from the sores. Keep them well-covered and you should be fine. You just may not feel like doing anything if you’ve got a bad case.

          2. Indolent Libertine*

            Hand sanitizer explicitly does NOT kill norovirus; only bleach on surfaces, and vigorous lengthy handwashing with soap, will do that. People who have had norovirus can still be shedding virus up to 2 weeks after the symptoms have resolved and they feel fine again. This is why it spreads so easily and runs rampant through self-contained communal living situations like senior homes, cruise ships, etc. Nasty, nasty stuff.

          3. Sorry I got you sick...*

            Last time I got norovirus, I got it from my toddler. I tried to be super careful about washing hands and clothes and surfaces and we all stayed indoors for a couple weeks after the symptoms stopped. Then we went over to play with some friends outside. The next day, those friends all had it. It can be insanely contagious, even well after symptoms stop, and especially with kids, who aren’t great at washing and not touching their face, etc.

        2. TK*

          Shingles? If you have shingles and someone touches your sores, they can get chickenpox if they’re not immune to it. But shingles itself isn’t contagious.

          You can safely get your haircut if you have shingles as long as the rash isn’t on your face/scalp/neck. Whether you’d feel like doing so, though…

          1. Not A Raccoon Keeper*

            Hah yes, people I’ve known with shingles are more likely to be debating their will to live than whether to get a haircut!

        3. Friendly Neighborhood Masker*

          This is true, but the risk of contracting the majority of airborn respiratory viruses is greatly reduced by wearing a mask. Viruses like norovirus are prevented by handwashing and avoiding contaminated food and water, so regular handwashing should also be a practice.

          The idea that because something isn’t 100% effective that it is useless is defeatist.

          But I agree completely that anyone sick should also stay home!

          1. Not A Raccoon Keeper*

            This, and masking covers up most of our favourite mucus membranes that we unknowingly touch! So while noro isn’t strictly airborne* ** it’s a lot harder to transmit from our filthy hands to our bodies when we can’t accidentally lick our fingers or touch our faces.

            *although there is strong evidence that airborne transmission is an important vector (NIH, 2019)

            ** also as a former camp counsellor at a camp once hit with rolling waves of noro for 4 weeks (due to siblings attending each week), I would bet all of my money from that summer that kids throwing up in my cabin’s garbage cans was defo throwing virus all over the place

        4. Grumpy Elder Millennial*

          I agree that people should stay home when they’re sick. However, if we evaluate protective measures by their ability to achieve 100% containment over all diseases, we’re not going to have many options. Like, there’s a reason the swiss cheese model exists.

    5. Bitte Meddler*

      Up until very, very recently, my hair stylist wore a mask when washing and cutting my hair. I was grateful that she took my health, her health, and the health of her elderly mother (who lives with her) seriously.

      I always wear a mask when I go in, but then she has me take it off, because the ear loops would get wet when shampooing my hair.

      1. Bast*

        Many of the nail technicians where I get my nails done still wear masks. In an industry such as theirs, not working=not getting paid, and many cannot afford that. I am not advocating for people to come in to get a manicure while sick, as it is definitely NOT an essential service, but they have sadly (correctly) assumed that many will still come in while sick rather than cancel, and the mask and hand sanitizers at least offer some level of protection.

        1. Bella Ridley*

          I wonder how much of this is due to sickness and how much of it is due to them wanting to reduce their exposure to nail dust and other irritants in the air? I know a handful of nail techs who wear masks but the sickness exposure is just a happy side effect, they’re more concerned about inhaling particulate for several hours a day.

          1. Professor Buzzkill never gets her nails done*

            It’s not even nail dust, they use some really gnarly chemicals in nail salons (and some hair salons too for that matter). Unfortunately if they’re gaseous compounds rather than particulates then even an N95 isn’t very helpful— most useful is adequate ventilation and air exchanges from outdoors (which, incidentally, also helps with viruses). (Also, presuming the outdoors is not actively on fire of course..)

          2. UKDancer*

            Yes, my manicurist wears a mask always because of the use of irritant chemicals and the amount of dust etc in the air. She said that’s the protocol in her chain of salons to protect staff.

      2. Masked Avenger*

        I actually use a mask that sticks on my face (like a giant band-aid) when getting a haircut. It’s pretty comfortable! I use ReadiMask but there are several different brands.

        1. iglwif*

          I was just thinking this past weekend, while getting my haircut wearing an earloop KN95, that I should get some of those! I have friends who use them for haircuts and swear by them (but don’t live close enough to spot me one, alas).

        2. Not A Raccoon Keeper*

          Even as a full time masker and mask shiller (currently placing an order for 6 different people!), I had never seen these! Thanks!

      3. Elizabeth West*

        There was a hair salon in my old town that strictly followed the mask mandates in 2020 for both stylists AND clients. One of the stylists got Covid and another one caught it also. They worked with over 100 clients, and not one of the clients got it (from them, anyway).

        This actually made the news and someone at the CDC wrote a report about it, which you can read. I like to point to it when someone claims masks don’t work.

      4. Grumpy Elder Millennial*

        Personally, I don’t mind if my earloops get wet. Though I mostly use a silicone one with replaceable filters. I’ll add a link below. It allows me to just gently hold the mask to my face and maintain a good seal during washing.

        2. RoadLessTraveler*

          Yeah, me too! I’m going into the stylist tomorrow. No one masks anymore but I do and the earloops dry under the dryer. It’s fine. I usually change or toss the mask when I get home, but it works while I’m there.

    6. boof*

      Yea I think if they get plenty of business doing this on top of asking sick people not to come in will help signal that they’re serious about it + while it might drive away people who are anti mask, it might bring in more people who are happy with the precautions. Plus it might cut down on a few of the colds they catch from mostly asymptomatic people (if done right).

  5. Sloanicota*

    It’s really hard. All I can say is that when I am fuming about how can I make other people do anything, I sometimes have to flip it around and say “what can I do to prevent X and Y outcome.” So like this morning’s letter, the person annoyed at the coworkers joining on treadmills. Totally makes sense to be annoyed, but “how can I make my coworkers stop joining on treadmills” is dicier than “what can I do so I don’t feel seasick on zoom calls” which is why I was in the comments talking about blocking people’s video. In this call, working with the direct public, what are the things you can do to prevent yourself from being infected? I guess I’d say wear a good mask, have hand sanitizer at your counter that you use, maybe putting in a small air purifier … but really yes, people should be more considerate :(

    1. Grumpy Elder Millennial*

      Totally agree, Sloanicota. It’s typically much easier to change your own behaviour than to try to change others’ behaviour. Especially if it means changing a bunch of people’s behaviour.

      Implement what precautions you can and try out what changes you can implement, like telling people in advance that they shouldn’t come if they’re sick.

  6. BowTiesAreCool*

    I am continually astonished by the sheer number of people who seem to have learned nothing from COVID. (Not that it was right to expose people to disease before that, but in many places it was more socially acceptable.)

    1. Eldritch Office Worker*

      It baffles me too. There was mass education about hygiene and disease transmission. People are really showing they simply don’t care about others.

    2. ReallyBadPerson*

      They learned plenty. People of certain political persuasions made sure that Covid was politicized, so that even those who would previously have been okay with masking, vaccines, and calling out when sick now mock those who do.

      1. Elsewise*

        Tell me about it. I got yelled at by a cashier for wearing a mask not too long ago. Not for asking him to wear a mask, not for anything that directly affected him, just for wearing a mask in his presence. People get super offended by it these days and assume anything someone does to not get sick is a political attack on them.

        1. Properlike*

          By a *cashier*? At a place that was taking your money? WTH? I hope you talked to a manager or the corporate office.

        2. Nah*

          I got shamed by a DOCTOR that works exclusively with immunocompromised patients for asking him to wear a mask while he was hacking away right at me inside the closet-converted-to-exam-room. If the meds I need to literally survive weren’t only available from him (the next nearest doctor of this specialty is 3+ hrs away – one way – and has a year long waiting list and my current doctor knows this extremely well. his negligence almost sent me into a permanent coma but there’s literally nothing I can do) I would have fired him the moment I walked into our first appointment. Thankfully I’m at the point I only legally need to see him once every 9-12 months, but it’s freaking miserable as hell.

          1. MeepMeep123*

            My 86-year-old father is in cancer treatment and I go with him to all the appointments. We actually had a cancer surgeon cancel his surgery two weeks out because I had the audacity to ask him to wear a mask during a consultation. (We did find a replacement and he’s doing great, but this was not a fun few days)

            1. Nah*

              I made the mistake of having one singular appointment with him on my own (the advocate (witness, honestly) I usually take to my appointments was sick and obviously neither of us was gonna waltz into this place with a fever/hacking up a lung).

              Never. Freaking. Again.

          2. RoadLessTraveler*

            Wow. I used to ask people at Dunkin Donuts and local tea places to wash their hands before making my tea. This is when they handled money (less likely now.) Still I don’t want anyone’s fingers on my tea bag. I’m all for loose tea, but if you are using bare fingers to close that tea bag, I need to hear a sink running and see some soap first. The sink is usually right there!

            And this is pre-Covid. But it matters.

        3. Slinky*

          I had a customs officer shame me, saying I was like Linus with a security blanket. Really hard to respond when this is a person who can literally prevent you from entering a country.

    3. Strive to Excel*

      People learned a lot. Businesses didn’t.

      If my choice is to be socially unacceptable and come in sick or stay home with no pay, then I’m going to come in sick because being socially acceptable doesn’t pay rent or buy food. If a business smacks me with a cancellation fee or makes it impossible to get a new appointment, they’re making it a lot harder to want to be socially acceptable. If, as a student, I have to make up several days of schoolwork on top of my regular schoolwork and also self-teach myself the material I missed while still feeling crummy, I’m going to drag myself in so that I can at least half-ass the work.

      If you want people to behave in a way that’s socially helpful, the rest of us need to make it possible. And do it in a way that doesn’t require the government prodding us with the regulatory stick, because that will take years.

    4. iglwif*

      It really is astonishing. And baffling. And frustrating.

      I routinely mask now and haven’t been sick since the one time my whole household had COVID in December 2021. My choir, which rehearses weekly, was requiring masks for a while but stopped doing so at the start of the 2023/24 season, but I and a few others have kept masking for rehearsals and concerts. Absences due to illness are consistently higher than than they used to be, and people (including the conductor) keep complaining about it, but has anyone gone back to masking? NOPE.

      My mom got COVID from her choir conductor this past fall and she was very annoyed at him for showing up while contagious, but like … he wasn’t symptomatic yet, and she is in her 80s, and singing is a very high-risk activity, so why wasn’t SHE wearing a mask? Like many people who talk to me about masks because they see me wearing one, she was like, haha, I know I should wear a mask like you do, but ::shrug emoji::

      1. Elizabeth West*

        I didn’t even catch a cold during Covid. Didn’t get that either until a whole year after I moved here, four years after the pandemic started (it sucked; do not recommend).

        1. iglwif*

          Yes, when I say I haven’t been sick I mean I haven’t gotten COVID (except that one time) or the flu or even a minor cold. Nothing. And I used to get several colds a year and the flu every couple of years, and it sucked.

          Now, of course I am also getting my flu shots and COVID boosters, washing my hands properly, etc. I’m not relying on masking alone. But masking is absolutely making a very big difference!

          1. fish*

            Same! I also haven’t smelled a single fart in public for nearly five years now. (not a primary consideration, but certainly a nice bonus)

          2. JMC*

            Same here. I mask every time I go inside somewhere, I avoid crowds and things like concerts and busy restaurants. I have my flu and covid shots up to date. I have not even gotten a cold in 5 years. I did have covid twice and RSV once due to my husband catching it god knows where and bringing it home, even while masking. But colds are non existent now for me.

      2. No show*

        “but has anyone gone back to masking? NOPE.”

        Gee, it’s not like the risk profile for Covid in 2023-24 has changed drastically since 2020-21.

        1. iglwif*

          In terms of how likely a reasonably healthy young-to-middle-aged person is to die or be hospitalized, the risk profile has changed.

          In terms of how likely you are to
          – miss work and miss activities you wanted to do [like sing in a concert you spent 2 months rehearsing for, in this case],
          – get long COVID,
          – make you more vulnerable to other infections, or
          – infect someone else who’s more vulnerable than you and make them very sick,

          it really hasn’t.

          Masking is such an easy and non-invasive precaution to take that I don’t understand why so many people are so resistant to doing it. I especially don’t understand how people who freely acknowledge that it’s a good idea won’t do it!

        2. All The Tired Horses*

          People are still dying and become disabled from Covid every day, around the world.

          It is spreading at higher levels now than it was for the majority of the pandemic.

          Every infection has a 10-30% chance of causing severe disability.

          There have been over 450,000 studies conducted on Covid and the scientific date is overwhelmingly clear that Covid is much closer to HIV than the flu. It is an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

          1. No show*

            “Every infection has a 10-30% chance of causing severe disability.”

            The CDC estimates that between Oct. 1 2024 and Jan. 4 2025, there were between 3.9 million and 7.0 million cases of Covid-19.

            By your reckoning, that would mean between 390,000 and 2.3 million Americans became severely disabled during roughly one calendar quarter. Extrapolating to an entire year (which admittedly sets aside seasonality), that would mean about 1.2 million to 7 million people are becoming severely disabled due to Covid-19 annually.

            That number does not meet the smell test.

              1. iglwif*

                Yes. All those articles about unprecedented “absenteeism” at schools and workplaces? That’s mostly COVID and its sequelae.

            2. MeepMeep123*

              Maybe not “severely”, but my wife and I run a law firm and we lost three employees in a row due to post-COVID cognitive issues. They just couldn’t work anymore. Tons of spelling issues, scrambled words, and messed up scheduling. One cited to an “ethics onion” instead of an “ethics opinion” in a letter meant to go to opposing counsel, and didn’t notice (and there were about 20 other mistakes in the letter). Maybe this is not a severe disability, but something is definitely going on.

    5. Grumpy Elder Millennial*

      Yeah, people shoved it all in the memory hole. It was a painful time (obviously, it was more painful for some people than others) and people don’t want to remember it.

      1. iglwif*

        I’ve theorized to friends before that one reason some people (I encounter very few of these B”H, but not zero) get so mad about other people’s decision to wear a mask — a decision that should not, in theory, affect them in any way at all — is that they don’t want to be reminded either how bad the pandemic was at the beginning or that it actually isn’t over.

        1. Not A Raccoon Keeper*

          Just wait until they hear about how many people in the Cali central valley are likely to have avian flu.

  7. Gyne*

    Another thing to consider is your no show/late reschedule policy and if you want to build in flexibility for sickness – many stylists require a credit card and have a warning that a no show or late cancellation will result in charging the full fee for the appointment. But if someone is sick or has a sick family member and needs to reschedule, I think it might be helpful to allow someone a “free” reschedule for that reason.

    1. Sam I Am*

      This. Of course people shouldn’t show up sick or with sick kids, but it sucks to get charged $50 or $100 for a last-minute cancellation. It will probably help to include with the policy that there’s no fee for cancellations due to illness.

      1. CorgiDoc*

        Especially if that eats your entire budget for that service for X period of time. If I have $100 budgeted for hair care for an 8 week period and it’s a $100 cancellation fee even if I’m sick. Then I’m stuck with the choices of going in while sick or not getting my hair done for another 8 weeks (and maybe I need it to be done, like if I have a job interview and have short hair that will get shaggy). Not saying it’s right to still go in sick in that situation, but it definitely makes it easier to see why someone might.

      2. Grumpy Elder Millennial*

        This. People are more likely to comply if cancelling because of illness doesn’t cost them anything.

    2. A Simple Narwhal*

      Last year I was sick as a dog with covid. I had a hair appointment in a couple days and I didn’t want to go while I was still contagious (plus I wasn’t sure I’d even feel well enough to leave the house by then), so I called the salon to reschedule. The front desk person said that since it was close to my appointment I would have to pay a cancellation fee, which was something like 50% of my appointment cost. (I only go quarterly and it’s not cheap, so that was a hefty fee.) I told them that I could absolutely drag myself to my appointment but I was trying to do the right thing by not coming in while sick with covid, could they waive the fee and let me reschedule for when I was healthy? They spoke to their manager and got the fee waived.

      So definitely waive the fee if you can for a sick reschedule, don’t punish people who are trying to do the right thing.

    3. JB (not in Houston)*

      But she said that. She said she wouldn’t charge if they called even 10 minutes before the appointment and said they were sick.

  8. Marshmallow*

    The place I get my hair done at has a strict “no sick people” policy. They’ll turn you away. They do just fine. :)

    They also only recently stopped requiring masks, but do check in with you on mask preferences for each appointment. Like if you want the stylist to wear one. I think they have a couple stylists that still require their clients to do it. I personally don’t like it, but that said, if they want me to wear one, I will absolutely comply! No argument or sass or “reduced tip” from me. Just tell me what you need!

    2. Bast*

      My stylist recalled how absolutely terrible people were regarding masks. In my state, when the DOH allowed places such as salons to open back up, there were strict masking requirements, and the DOH regularly did “surprise” inspections to ensure compliance. She told me that she had been yelled at, threatened with violence, and SPIT ON for complying a regulation that she had no control over. Non-compliance could range from a fine to being shut down, depending on the number of violations. I shouldn’t have been shocked, but I was. Cut your own hair, if you don’t want to wear a mask, or just suck it up and wear the mask for 30 minutes. But spitting on someone? Insane. I am glad to hear some people are not giving the stylists a hard time and can respect the policies, whether set by the stylist themself or someone else.

  9. Coffee*

    make it easy to reschedule as well. I will *always* reschedule if my kids are sick, but it’s so much easier if I don’t have to make a phone call. if I can schedule the appointment online please make it so I can reschedule online as well( I realize depending on what platform you use this may not always be possible)

    1. WellRed*

      It’s 2025. It shouldn’t be a Thing for online platforms to not allow cancellations and rescheduling. And yet, it is.

  10. Janeway, Her Coffee In Hand*

    Would it be practical to have people wear masks if they come in sick? I know that doesn’t resolve everything but if I came in and was charged a fee no show fee because the proprietor felt I was too ill to serve, it would be my last time going to that business.

    1. Not sure*

      But if some person has no problem with masks, they would just come in sick and wear the mask. Not sure if this is what OP is hoping for – although this idea strikes me as a good compromise.

    2. Dahlia*

      I mean, if you’re a person who shows up sick to breathe on someone in close proximity, I think people would prefer if you didn’t come back?

      1. Janeway, Her Coffee In Hand*

        Can you tell the difference between someone with a cold and someone with severe allergies? It’s not easy to differentiate. OP risks turning away people with entirely non contagious conditions because they look sick while still interacting with people who have active COVID but no obvious symptoms. There’s no perfect solution here but masking for both is a reasonable measure if they’re concerned by coughing and sneezing.

        1. Dahlia*

          OP is allowed to not want to be coughed on by people with allergies, too. They can go to someone else. I doubt they’re the only person who cuts hair in town.

        2. Elle*

          If you look and seem sick enough to give a stylist or other provider cause for concern, it’s your responsibility to explain that ahead of time, IMO.

      1. iglwif*

        You can absolutely get a haircut while wearing an earloop mask. (A headstrap mask, probably not.)

        I just did this last weekend. (I have done it since things started reopening in 2021.) When the stylist needed to get in behind my ears with the electric shaver thingy, I briefly took the loops off and held the mask against my face instead. Very easy for both of us.

      3. Not A Raccoon Keeper*

        As someone who has had everything from a sideshave to mid-back length thick curly hair, and who has only had masked haircuts for now 5 years, please believe me that it’s fully possible. I usually get asked to hold an earloop for about 30 seconds on each side.

    4. Sloanicota*

      Also, a lot of little kids, especially sick ones, aren’t great about wearing masks. In the letter the issue was more with the kid than the client.

  12. Beveled Edge*

    You also might keep a box of masks by the door and ask anyone who looks sick to put one on, which would help in the kind of situation you described where you’re already halfway through the service when the sick family member arrives.

  13. Sharon*

    Do you have appointments set up ahead of time or do you take walk-ins? If you have appointments, text them the day before to confirm and ask them to reschedule if they are sick.

  14. Ann Onymous*

    I am so frustrated by people who don’t care about giving their illnesses to other people. There are a lot of people with various underlying health issues that can make all sorts of “minor” illnesses not so minor, and a lot of us don’t “look sick”. When a stomach bug went through my office a few years ago, most people spent a day miserable in their bathrooms; I ended up hospitalized.

    1. A Simple Narwhal*

      Ugh I’m still mad that years ago my coworker came into work looking and sounding like death. Multiple people told him to go home, but he refused, claiming he didn’t want to “waste a sick day”. He gave me a worse version of whatever he had, and I got so sick I had to receive emergency fluids. They literally had to wheel me in, I was too sick to walk or even sit up on my own. I was out for over a week and burned through all of my sick time and PTO.

      When he came back he just laughed and said “whoops seems like I gave you whatever I had, don’t worry I’ll buy you lunch to make up for it”. And then the jerk never even bought me lunch!

      I know overall that the company’s abysmal PTO was mostly to blame, but he’s still an a-hole in my mind.

      1. Properlike*

        He is absolutely an a-hole and should have given you at least one of his non-wasted sick days.

    2. HiddenT*

      Yeah, I have a weaker-than-average immune system (not to the level of being immunocompromised, just not robust) and asthma that’s only triggered under certain conditions (including upper respiratory illnesses). When I get a cold that some people could get over in a week, it might take me an entire month to recover, with multiple days spent so sick I can’t function (like, I’m asleep for 18 hours every day and can’t even focus on TV shows).

      Since 2020 I’ve been wearing a mask in public and at large gatherings (I work from home) and the difference is stark for me. I rarely get sick anymore, which means I can use my sick time for other things (generally “mental health days” because I have anxiety and depression and do really need to take days off for it occasionally).

    3. boof*

      And even if you’re perfectly healthy, just try having small kids and wave after wave of “minor” illness constantly disrupting routines (because kids have to stay home; parents have to take care of kid; skip all activities you had planned) – it gets demoralizing. The first winter post covid with 3 kids when things reopened was a bit miserable.

    4. MeepMeep123*

      Yes. And some of them may be taking care of others. If someone infects me with Covid, chances are I’ll be just fine. But I’m taking care of my 86 year old father, who is a cancer patient with multiple other things wrong with his health. He will end up dead.

  15. constant_craving*

    I may be extrapolating too much, but it sounds like the LW charges a “no show” fee and that clients aren’t aware it will get waived if they call and say they’re sick?

    If clients know about the fee but not about it being waived, then you’re incentivizing them to show up.

    1. Hlao-roo*

      I interpreted this part of the letter as something the LW is brainstorming as a possibility to do in the future, not a current practice:

      Honestly, if people come in sick I think it’s fair to refuse service and charge a no-show fee. Even if they gave me 10-minute notice and just let me know they were sick, I wouldn’t charge. I don’t know if that’s how it works though.

      The wording is ambiguous, though, so my interpretation might not be correct.

  16. H.Regalis*

    If you haven’t already, check in any online groups you’re in for barbers/hair stylists/aestheticians/nail techs/etc. in your area and see what how other people have implemented similar policies and how that’s gone.

    Like Alison said, your business will probably take a bit of a hit. If you’re an established barber with a big clientele that probably won’t matter as much to you compared to if you’re just starting out. Can you weather some loss of revenue? Are there are other services you can offer to make up for that?

  17. Stuart Foote*

    Kids are pretty much constantly sick and a lot of people (not just parents) have packed schedules that make even things like scheduling a haircut more difficult than you’d think. I do try to avoid taking my kids places when they aren’t feeling well, but we are fortunate enough to have a fairly flexible schedule where a parent can usually stay home with the kids. A lot of people aren’t so lucky. Also, often kids will initially show symptoms and then somehow be completely better in an hour, or not be that bad at first and suddenly their immune systems seem to totally collapse and they feel and look terrible.

    Don’t get me wrong, sick kids annoy me too, but I also think it’s a tough problem to solve and is somewhat inevitable if you have a customer facing job.

    1. Melicious*

      Seconding this. It’s not an excuse but an explanation. Kids are required to be in the Petri dishes that are schools, so families with kids are sick A LOT. I do try to be courteous and reschedule low priority things (like haircuts!) if someone is sick. But seriously, at least one person in the house has a cold almost all the time from October to April.

    3. Properlike*

      Yes, AND a haircut is not one of those mandatory procedures that needs to be done no matter what. It’s inconvenient to reschedule a haircut, even multiple ones, but such is life.

      I say this as someone with kids. The one time I was recovering from the flu but my daughter needed a haircut, I called the salon in advance, gave her my credit card to pay, and I stayed in the car the whole time.

    4. No Longer Gig-less Data Analyst*

      My hair salon – which admittedly is very high-end – enacted a rule that children cannot be in the salon at all unless they are also getting a haircut. They lost some customers with this policy, but as so someone who has been going there since they opened, and spends thousands of dollars there each year, I love it. People were letting their kids run wild through the salon while they were getting a multi-hour coloring or hair extension appointments.

      Recently they announced that they would no longer be taking on new clients under the age of 15, so there must have been other shenanigans. Not every business can afford to to this, of course, but even with these rules in place I have to book my appointments there 6 months out. They are always busy and can luckily afford to be choosey.

      1. No show*

        “My hair salon – which admittedly is very high-end – enacted a rule that children cannot be in the salon at all unless they are also getting a haircut.”

        This is the solution

      2. higheredadmin*

        This is my salon as well, and the owner has small kids (so it’s not as if she hates kids). She said: not the vibe I’m looking for. They also require a 50% deposit because in addition to the usual salon stuff they do all the intense hair coloring that can take up half the day, so if they have a no-show it could be one of two clients for the stylist for that day. They have been flexible about rescheduling if I was unwell, but never a kid steps foot in there.

    5. ArlynPage*

      Yep, I’m lucky that I have a somewhat flexible work and childcare situation, but if my kids are sick and I have to cancel a haircut, I’m looking at a months-long wait to get scheduled again. I can definitely see why people feel like they have no choice but to bring sick kids to the one appointment they were able to snag in the near future. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do and I wouldn’t do it myself, but I can empathize with people who really have no other option.

      1. JB (not in Houston)*

        I mean, they do have another option, though. With rare exception, one missed haircut won’t affect your livelihood or cause you any real hardship. I understand the inconvenience and not wanting to miss the appointment, but if they feel like they have no choice, they’re just wrong.

    6. toolegittoresign*

      But LW has a packed schedule and has other clients with packed schedules who then ALL have their appointments rescheduled because the barber got sick — and maybe others in the shop! So it’s realizing that it’s better to have to reschedule for yourself or arrange childcare than cause many others to have to reschedule because of you. Plus it’s not uncommon for adults to get way sicker from a bug they caught from a kid because some people like me who don’t have kids aren’t being exposed to a lot of viruses on a day-to-day basis. Like I can pretty much plan on getting sick after seeing any of my friends’ kids. And while their kid maybe just had the sniffles for a few days, I’m down with a cold and then bronchitis for weeks.

    7. boof*

      I get it but still, it’s not ok to just expect other people to deal with your sick kids – a haircut can be important grooming but it’s not an essential thing, it can be rescheduled, etc.

    8. All The Tired Horses*

      It’s true that kids have always been sick more often than adults, but kids in the past several decades have NOT always been constantly sick.

      They are constantly sick now, because the COVID pandemic is still ongoing and every infection causes severe damage to the immune systems as well as basically every single organ and function you can think of.

      Kids are constantly sick because we are constantly subjecting them to a virus that gives them an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

      Look up any study with children and long covid. In particular, look up the recent study on the 25% of US marines who have significant health impacts 12 months after COVID infection.

      1. MeepMeep123*

        And this is why my kid wears an N95 mask any time she goes anywhere. She’s usually the only one doing it.

        1. All The Tired Horses*

          Same here. The whole family has been masking since our little guy was 2 years old and we’re the ones who always get cancelled on because everyone else is sick.

    9. Spooz*

      I agree. My big question here is… what IS sick/ill?

      I’m a homeschooling mum with four kids under age 7. They are polite and well-behaved in public. If I had to have a haircut in a salon (in fact we cut ours at home) then I would bring some books and some colouring and they would sit nicely in a corner. I know they would because they have done this in numerous medical appointments I had to have last year.

      But one of then ALWAYS has some kind of sniffle from September to April. Right now #3 has a runny nose. Last week it was #2. No doubt next week it will be #1.

      If I stayed home all the time one of them was slightly sick, I would almost never leave the house.

      My sister-in-law, when they had their first baby, spouted off about people bringing their sick (runny nose, vague cough) kids to playgroups. Now she has two toddlers, she has rolled back on that one, let me tell you!

      So I think the LW needs to consider the verbiage of their policy carefully. Otherwise they run the risk of losing appointments to people who coughed once a week ago and have been fine since, or having people show up who say, “I’m not SICK sick, I just have a runny nose!”

      They can plonk themselves wherever they like on the spectrum, but need to know that people have different definitions of “sick” or “too sick to X”. I take my snotty, coughing kids out all the time if they aren’t also tired. They get colds. That’s life. But a trace of fever? A single vomit? Stay home and cancel everything.

      I’m not sure many of the commenters here have much recently experience with young kids. If everyone stayed home when their toddler had the sniffles, the country would collapse.

      1. Stuart Foote*

        Most the commentators here are very nice, but many do seem to not know much about kids. There is definitely an attitude on the internet now that is very harshly judgmental to people who have kids and make the assumption that parents need to be able to control their kid perfectly at all times. There are definitely parents who drive me crazy when they don’t watch their kids, but I like to think I keep a decently close eye on mine and they have definitely been disruptive in public before, and I think that’s true of all kids.

    10. Elle*

      It’s not about sick kids being “annoying.” It’s about your sick kids making it impossible for your stylist to work next week because you brought them in with sniffles today.

    11. Grogu's Mom*

      This. Your business, your rule, but as a parent I can’t imagine ever going someplace that had this rule, or if I did, I’d just ignore it and hope nobody noticed. Everyone in my family is coughing/sniffly so often that it doesn’t even register anymore. Unless it’s something bad enough that daycare would send my kid home, we are out and about as usual. We are just far too busy to do anything else. The difference between my life pre-kid and post-kid is that we are operating in a pretty intense triage mode all of the time. We do things sick. We do things exhausted. We are out running errands even if our kid is screaming or we haven’t eaten all day or it is a stressful time at work. Because certain things have to get done and there are not enough hours in the day even if you’re lucky enough to have 2+ parents in the equation so you have to pick your battles. If it were only rescheduling once that might be NBD, but there’s probably a 90% chance that the rescheduled date would be symptomatic, too, so how many times are you realistically going to reschedule before you give up and go somewhere else? I kind of feel like if you are a barber who takes kids, then some initial sickness just comes with the territory. Same as if you work at a daycare, indoor playground, pediatrician’s office, etc. The first year I taught elementary school I was sick constantly, but eventually I had gotten most of what goes around.

  18. Cher*

    Wear an N95 mask. It isn’t perfect, but I work in nursing homes and rarely get sick and have never gotten Covid. I don’t have an incredible immune system, I get sick when exposed during vacations but the N95 and frequent hand washing works really well.

    1. iglwif*

      Yep. I’ve actually TWICE succeeded in not getting COVID when my spouse brought it home from work, by wearing an N95 until he tested negative and sleeping in another room.

  19. Ellen Ripley*

    “You’ll still probably get clients who come in sick or with a sick kid anyway, because people are inconsiderate….If you want to offer a discount for the rescheduled appointment, that would help from a client relations perspective, but you don’t have to.”

    I do not agree with this. OP will already be missing out on getting paid for the haircut, it’s too late to schedule a new client in that time slot, and they’d be offering a discount to someone who was inconsiderate enough to come to the appointment visibly sick. I understand OP is working in a role that has a customer relations element but this is too far to go to accommodate them.

    1. Eldritch Office Worker*

      I can see both sides of this. You’re right, that OP shouldn’t have to do this and that the client was forewarned. That said this is the kind of business that really relies on repeat customers, and word of mouth. It’s not just a customer relations element, but rather depending on how established OP is and how much alternative business they have, a steady customer can be make or break.

      OP knows this best, but I can see why the suggestion might make sense depending on the circumstances.

  20. Kate*

    Everybody just thinks it would be fine to cut someone’s hair while they’re wearing a mask? Based on the info in the letter I’m picturing that OP does a lot of short haircuts. And masks attach to the wearer’s ears.

    1. Bella Ridley*

      During COVID when I got my hair cut every month wearing a mask, the hairdresser just had me hold the mask to my face and un-loop it from each ear while trimming around the ear, then replace it when done.

      1. Janeway, Her Coffee In Hand*

        Same. I have a very short cut which is half shaved. I’d keep the mask on my face and undo my ear loops. It’s not too difficult.

        1. Bella Ridley*

          I mean, it’s very doable for both parties to wear a mask if they see fit. Someone getting their hair cut and trimmed around the ears can still wear a mask and pop it off just for the little time that’s required. Lots of people did this as long as masks were mandated and I promise you barbers figured it out.

    2. HiddenT*

      I wear a mask every time I get my hair cut (very short cut). My barber takes the loop off my ear just enough to trim that area, then replaces it. It takes two seconds.

    3. iglwif*

      I just got my hair cut last weekend — cut very short, with shaved back and sides — while wearing an earloop KN95 mask.

      At the points in the haircut where the stylist needed to get right in behind each of my ears, I took the loop off that ear and held the mask against my face with one hand. No trouble at all.

    4. a clockwork lemon*

      I had multiple hair cuts and full-foil highlights done during the pandemic. My stylist and I both wore a mask at each (4+hr) appointment, and it was not a hardship for me to hold my mask up to my face for the roughly five seconds it took for her to apply color around my head. My husband’s barber had a similar mask policy, and the haircuts were never a problem.

      Hair stylists are professionals and they know how to work around things that hook around people’s ears–glasses were still a thing well before people in the US were in the habit of masking.

    5. Friendly Neighborhood Masker*

      I wear a mask for every haircut since 2020, and my stylist has never had a problem… and she gives me great cuts!

    6. e271828*

      I had my hair cut today. I wore a mask with ear loops, rather than one that wraps around my head from behind. There was no problem. The mask did not interfere with any part of the process.

  21. Thinkerdoodle*

    I think people would be much much less likely to come in sick if you freely advertised not just the no-sick policy but the fact that you won’t penalize them to cancel/reschedule if the reason is sickness. Too many of these services seem to charge a cancellation fee regardless of the reason for the cancellation and I think that’s the reason so many people proceed even when they shouldn’t

  22. madhatter360*

    I saw an article about restaurants that charged no-show fees when for people who cancelled reservations last moment (or simply no-showed). One of the strategies listed was to issue the fee in the form of a gift certificate. It encouraged people to actually call and cancel even if they were in the fee window rather than no-showing. This then allowed the restaurant to try and fill the reservation from the wait list, or to let the host know the table was available for a walk in. As long as the customer made a new reservation they actually showed up for, they weren’t really out any money.
    Seems like it could apply pretty well here.

    2. Elle*

      This is why it’s better to call and cancel than just cancel online- often, it lets the business make arrangements to make up for the lost business.

  23. Jam on Toast*

    I had a really unpleasant cold over the holidays, which I caught courtesy of my adult son, who works in retail and has to interact regularly with Typhoid Mary and Germy Jim.
    While I was ill, I wore an N95 mask on the few occasions I had to go into a store. Not because I’m some special saint or martyr but because I try to be a reasonable person, and I don’t want other people to get sick if they don’t have to.
    Asking people not to come into the OP’s shop when they are ill is a completely reasonable request. It not only impacts other customers, but it also impacts the OP’s ability to remain healthy and able to work, which is vital as a sole proprietor. Only unreasonable people will react poorly.

  24. Nomic*

    Don’t forget you can mask as well (and with an elderly parent or grandparent, I would consider masking with an N95 regardless of whether clients appear sick or not.

    1. Lime green Pacer*

      +1! A medical mask on top of an N95 mask gives excellent protection. In addition to the extra layers, the medical mask helps give a closer fit.

  25. Strive to Excel*

    I have to add – people are more likely to show up sick if they feel like they won’t be able to get a haircut otherwise.

    I have had this problem with doctor’s offices before. I have X that I need to treat – it’s not deathly urgent but it’s significantly impacting my quality of life. First appointment I got I had to wait 2 months. Day of the appointment I come down with a sniffle. Call the office and ask if there’s another appointment soon. 3 months later. Now I have an ethical dilemma on my hands and end up going to the appointment while wearing a mask.

    Meanwhile my dentist always has a little time every day for emergency calls or moving appointments. I know that if I let them know I am sick, I’ll have another appointment in 2 weeks and no one else gets sick.

    Make sure people have a chance to reschedule in a timely manner and they’ll be much more likely to do it. There’ll be some people who are still inconsiderate, but that just makes for an effective method to spot the bad clients.

    1. WellRed*

      This! If I’m sick I’ll cancel but it already took an act of god or congress to get this horrible inconvenient time and to have to wait another six weeks, well…do the math

  26. blupuck*

    I have good rapport with my stylist and we often discuss business. If he gets COVID from a client, it is more than just illness and a risk to his partner. It is money out of his pocket and not just that one appointment either. Responsible stylists will not work if they have COVID and generally don’t get paid sick leave. Cut some hair, get some money.
    No cutting, no money.

    1. Properlike*

      This is an important point. Not only does this impact the LW, it impacts all of their other clients who will then have their appointments rescheduled. Be a good human and contain the inconvenience to your own family rather than spreading it around like germs. :)

      Note: I would expect to find sick people at a doctor’s office, so that doesn’t seem like a breach of conduct if you stay masked.

  27. JustKnope*

    As a parent of a young child in daycare, I’ve gained a lot more empathy for the parents in these situations. I know there are situations where it’s clear they should have canceled and stayed home. But my son has a runny nose for most of December. He’s currently going on 2 weeks of recovering from pneumonia and still looks a little gross, but he’s been on antibiotics so I don’t think he’s contagious anymore. It’s hard to put my entire life on hold for the duration of his seemingly never-ending illnesses. I feel bad that service workers are put in these situations. It just doesn’t feel like there are good options sometimes as a parent. I feel really trapped by it all.

      3. JustKnope*

        I love your optimism on my ability to get my 1 year old child to wear something on his head/face he doesn’t want to.

    2. Elle*

      Thank goodness a haircut is not actually medically necessary and no one needs to be bringing a sick kid to a salon.

  28. BabyFishMouth*

    I think LW should reinstitute a mask policy for themself and everyone entering the shop. That is truly the best way to protect yourself from catching a respiratory illness. People are most contagious with flu and covid in the 24 hours before the first symptoms appear, so LW is just as likely to catch something from the perfectly well-appearing person in the chair as anyone else. I think we need to let go of the idea that the rest of the world should be equally as vigilant about colds as they are about fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. It is simply not possible for most people to stay home, call off work, and cancel all their other appointments when they only have a cold. I have very good reasons to avoid sickness myself, and when I go out I put on my mask, ignore the looks, wash my hands and don’t touch my face. LW, nothing you say will stop people from coming to your shop sick (“Don’t worry, it’s just my allergies!” “I have asthma and it’s acting up, no biggie!” amirite?) Mask up and have a universal mask policy for customers too.

    1. No show*

      “Mask up and have a universal mask policy for customers too.”

      It’s not 2020 anymore. If you *really* want to put the shop out of business, and assuming this isn’t some kind of high-demand celebrity salon, this is the way to do it.

      1. Elle*

        RFK here is really triggered by masks- I’m seeing this user name up and down the comments section today!

  29. Camellia*

    Hmm, maybe flip this around and think of it the same way you would with head lice. If you discover a customer has head lice, even if you had already started working on them, you would immediately stop and make them leave. Because lice can spread to anyone and cause significant effort to get rid of them.

    And I’m guessing you would not hesitate to do that. So view any sickness the same way, and don’t feel bad about taking any measures you need to, to protect your health and the health of all those around you. You may lose a few customers but you may also gain some when people find out they don’t have to worry about sitting next to someone who is sick.

    1. Anonymouse*

      Would you make them leave for head lice? I got headlice a few times as a kid because children do and all that happened was the person washing my hair called my mum over to let her know. They then finished my haircut and when we went home we’d do the anti lice treatment. I’ve never heard of a hairdresser kicking kids out mid-cut for having headlice

    2. Kristen K*

      Most stylists I know would not stop a haircut for lice.if it’s already started. “You can’t give someone half a haircut” is literally what she said.

  30. AB*

    Some places near me ask/do a few things:

    -confirm I’m not sick and if sick, to reschedule. This is mentioned prominently (and I click a box) at the time of making the appointment and then I get a reminder email (or text) about the 2 days before the appointment to confirm I’m not sick.
    -limit the #of people you bring with you
    -ask the customer/group to wear masks

    Maybe do a combo of the above. I also like the idea of adding verbiage of “hey I live with an immunocompromised/medically fragile person so please be a decent human being and follow the rules” for added context to your customers.

  31. iglwif*

    While I entirely agree that people should not expose everyone to their sick children (or sick selves) for the sake of a haircut, in terms of protecting yourself and your vulnerable grandfather, your best bet is to routinely wear an N95 mask to work. Because people shouldn’t bring their airborne diseases to your workplace, but they will. And they should be the ones to mask when they’re sick, but they probably won’t.

    (Full disclosure: I wear an earloop KN95 when I go to get my hair cut. I get the occasional quizzical look, but no complaints.)

  32. HiddenT*

    As I stated in a thread above, I have a weaker-than-average immune system and still wear masks when out in public or at large gatherings (I don’t for smaller gatherings, less than ten people). I would be *more* likely to use a hairdresser with a strict policy about sick clients like this, rather than less. It would depend on the rest of the salon, though (since you said you’re a booth renter). Having one hairdresser with a strict no-illness policy and then the next booth over someone is hacking their lungs out would rather defeat the purpose. Trying to get the others on board would likely be worthwhile, if it’s feasible.

  33. Sophie*

    LW should be masking regularly. Even seemingly asymptomatic people carry illness, and there’s nothing wrong with wearing a mask. It should be more normalized anyway, and there are people who are more likely to frequent a business they know actually cares about the health and wellbeing of its customers. But LW should also consider getting HEPA filters and running those throughout the day, to minimize the spread of illness through the air. Of course, customers should NOT be coming in ill or bringing in their sick children, but since it’s capitalism’s stance that it’s every person for themself, LW should be taking every precaution they can.

    1. Caramel & Cheddar*

      This. Independent of clients bringing their sick selves into the shop, LW has someone at home they don’t want to get sick and there are lots of ways to help mitigate that in general, not just when faced with someone visibly sick in your chair.

  34. Raw Cookie Dough*

    OP, you must have a mask handy for yourself. At the end of the day, we are all responsible for our own health. And it’s true that a sick person could come into your booth and not infect you at all, only to go to the store after work and pick up something there. It’s impossible to know for sure where you pick something up.

  35. FunkyMunky*

    the easiest thing to do if you’re not into confrontation with clients – wear proper fitted masks during all your work appointments & set up air filtration devices. I still mask myself at my hair and nail appointments, but establishments find that hard to ask of clients. instead protect yourself!

  36. CleanAirIsGr8*

    In addition to the commenters suggesting having masks available (both for yourself and for clients), I investing in a HEPA filter could be a good idea. They’re fairly cheap to run and you can just stick it in a corner where it won’t be noticed much. Clean air is great for not catching as many illnesses and handy for allergies etc as well!
    Plus if you advertise this online or add yourself to clean air registers (eg safe inside.co.uk not sure about US ones) you could tap into a whole new market of customers who may prefer stronger health mitigations.

    1. fish*

      Improved air quality is definitely an underrated option. Air purifiers help reduce the risk of illness, but they’re also great for people with scent sensitivities, allergies, when there’s wildfire smoke or generally poor outdoor air quality; they’re great.

  37. brjeau*

    The salon I go to has a policy on their booking page that they waive the no-show/late notice cancellation fee if you’re sick. They also explicitly ask that you reschedule if you’re not feeling well. I think it helps by both setting expectations and making it easy to decide not to come in. (And as a client it also makes me feel better knowing that my stylist is less likely to have been exposed to something).

    Definitely not foolproof because customers, but it might also help turn people away if you’ve already made your policy clear. (This is of course assuming that in your setup there’s a way to communicate your own policies up front)

  38. nayamcd*

    My hairstylist still requires masking, and she will refuse the appointment if you are unable to comply. I hate it, but I like her and her services more than I hate it.

    1. iglwif*

      Why do you hate it?

      What would make someone “unable to comply” with wearing a mask long enough to get their hair cut?

      I’m not being snarky. I am genuinely baffled that anyone could object to this extremely common-sense and socially responsible policy.

      1. WellRed*

        People are allowed to hate masking for an hour. I remember going to target or the grocery store a few times during Covid and trying not to hyperventilate for seemingly no reason.

        1. iglwif*

          I mean the thing is, if someone genuinely cannot mask, that just makes it much more important for other people around them to do so. Even people who hate it. Hate wearing a mask? Understandable! Hate that your salon has a masking policy? I don’t get it.

      2. fish*

        I think there’s value in acknowledging that masking isn’t always easy, or even possible for some people. There are a lot of options that get left off the table when we treat masking like the one single option, including increasing fresh air intake, improving air purification systems, decreasing crowding and providing better access to health care, sick leave, and remote work. Not all options are available to all people all the time, of course, but at least where I am, we’re really not seeing the forest (reductions in illness transmission) for the trees (masking). (And for context, I’m a full-time masker for indoor public spaces, including work, so I really do supporting masking!)

        1. iglwif*

          Oh 100% agree!

          I absolutely support all those other things too. It’s just, we’ve all kind of been left to fend for ourselves in a situation that SHOULD be handled via systemic public health measures, and wearing a mask yourself + asking others to mask around you is one of the very few things OP can actually do.

          If OP can get the other chair-renters to go in on a high-quality air purification system, that would also be excellent!

          We *do* need more sick leave and better access to health care and high-quality air purification systems. Since those things are mostly not available, those of us who are at all able to need to mask.

      3. Spooz*

        I had some medical stuff going on during the haute pandemic that required frequent hospital appointments and also made wearing a mask make me feel like I was actively suffocating and had only minutes to live. So I was put in the situation a lot of times of being told “you have to wear a mask” and did not have the choice to simply opt out of the appointment. Thankfully medical professionals are kind people on the whole, and when I explained what was going on, I was generally not required to mask. But I was polite about it and explained myself, I didn’t just spit at them!

        1. iglwif*

          Right, and when you both have a genuine problem AND have no choice but to attend the appointment, it is 100% reasonable to negotiate a compromise. I have nearly infinite patience for that kind of situation, and very very little for someone who would rather put everyone else at risk than wear a mask long enough to do a fully optional thing like getting a haircut.

          Because the more you can’t mask, the more important it is for the people around you to do so!

    3. All The Tired Horses*

      This is amazing! I wish we still had stylists that insisted on masking in our area.

  39. Boss Scaggs*

    Personally if I’m sick the last thing I want to do is go get a haircut..that sounds like a terrible way to spend an hour or two while ill.

    1. Dahlia*

      I mean, depends how long you’re sick. I probably caught walking pneumonia in October. I spent a week or so feeling like death, but then after a while it was just the coughing and sniffling. And I was sick for almost a month – it gets boring.

      I still wouldn’t go get a haircut, but you can be “sick” for a long time and not feel like you’re dying lol

  40. EStein*

    A note on sick kids: mine has had a cough before that lasted 21 days following a virus. Same with an ear infection. Ped says it’s normal for young ones. No longer sick or contagious but *seem* sick. If I didn’t go anywhere with him for 21 days I wouldn’t have been able to function. Thus you will probably get kids in with a lingering cough who aren’t really contagious.

    1. Not your typical admin*

      This! If a child/client has a fever, vomiting, ect. then they’re obviously sick and contagious. Many times though, kids have have symptoms linger even after they’re not contagious. All of my kids have had things like ear infections, sinus infections, and strep throat. They were told they weren’t contagious after so many hours on antibiotics. Usually they weren’t 100% after that time, but felt well enough to do most things.

  41. Cynthia Simpson*

    I used to work at a hospital, and a co-worker once brought her flu-riddled toddler into our office when she had to drop off some paperwork. As a result, most of us in the office, myself included, got sick. So, my boss passed down the edict that no sick and/or contagious family members were allowed in our office. Then, another co-worker brought her little girl by, but this little girl had amblyopia (lazy eye disease) and wanted to show off her new glasses. Of course, the co-worker with the contagious child had a fit because this little girl had been allowed to visit. My boss pointed out that there was a big difference between the situations; this little girl wasn’t contagious at all, whereas the former little boy with the flu was highly contagious. I would often work when I had flares of my chronic vertigo, as there was no way anyone could catch it from me, but if I even thought I might be contagious I stayed home.

    1. DotDotDot*

      Your co-worker thought that a child with a lazy eye fit the definition of “sick” family member? That’s truly bizarre…

  42. Lizzianna*

    Also, make sure you’re not penalizing people for canceling due to being sick. My salon has a policy of charging a cancelation fee if you cancel within 48 hours. Fortunately, since COVID, they’ve been willing to waive the fee if you’re sick, especially if you don’t have a history of last minute cancelations.

  43. Fees*

    As someone who is disabled and who takes public transportation, it is nearly impossible to call if I’m going to be late because of transit issues. Phones don’t typically work underground and it’s usually too loud if above ground in a train or on a bus. Further, since the pandemic most places have cut back or eliminated staff to answer phones so half the time (or more) no one picks up. There is limited cell service underground and on many bus routes, so other avenues of contact are not available either. The lack of staffing is an issue if I need to reschedule because I’m sick or I can’t get out because of weather or because a particular activity is only physically doable when I’m having a good day.

    There are a variety of other issues that make it really difficult to consistently make it to appointments on time. I will try to call, but it rarely works. I won’t make appointment if orgs won’t waive no show fees at this point, especially if I try to call and can’t reach someone.

    If you’re going to require cancellation or no show fees, consider exceptions for your disabled clients or you may make it difficult to have disabled clients.

  44. SofiaDeo*

    I have almost zero immunity from cancer treatment. I’ve successfully avoided Covid & other respiratory problems by wearing a well fitted N95/FFP2 plus wraparound type sports glasses (eyes are a tiny risk, but still a risk). It took a few tries, I found a few brands I can wear for hours. (Imuse Gerson Extreme Comfort 3230 N95 respirators, and also have an Envo mask. Surgical masks are worn indoors at my place by all contractors, or I won’t hire them.

    So when someone pulls their mask off when I’m not looking, trying to game me after their promise, I I can put on my gear and decide if I want to let them finish the task, or ask them to leave. You may be able to do something similar?

    Since you are in a shared space with others you don’t have control over, consider getting an air purifier for your station. That way, things that waft over from nearby areas will be tamped down somewhat.

  45. Masks Work*

    Require masks for everyone – my salon does it, and it’s great. They provide masks to anyone who doesn’t come in with one. As a plus, this increases accessibility for any immune compromised people. Nearly half of all COVID spread is asymptomic or presymptomatic, and that can happen with many other viruses too. If you don’t want to be exposed to illness, you can’t judge based on symptoms alone, and some people might be contagious and not even know it.

  46. All The Tired Horses*

    I know that wearing a mask is a pain in the ass, but many people spread diseases asymptomatically.

    If you don’t want to wear a mask all of the time, you could at least keep an N95 on you so that if someone visibly ill does show up, at least you can protect yourself.

  47. Jennifer @unchartedworlds*

    Bit tangential to the original question, but if you ever wanted to start doing haircuts at people’s homes, there are vulnerable/careful people who’d be delighted to find a masking hairdresser, and happy to collaborate on minimising risks.

    1. MeepMeep123*

      Me! I actually learned to cut hair from YouTube videos so I could be the family hairdresser. That’s 5 people who are now getting horrible home haircuts instead of going to a salon, because most of us are high-risk and we just can’t chance it. I’d love to find a hairdresser who can actually make us look decent and not kill any of us in the process.

  48. Ff*

    I don’t know the laws where OP lives, but it’s worth looking at them. Telling all sick people not to come might run afoul of discrimination laws against (noncontagious) chronically sick people, if your country has any.

    In that case you might want to tailor your messaging to acute and contagious illness, or similar.

  49. Overthinking It*

    LW, you say “feels like. . .attempt to dominate and exert authority.” From here, it just sounds like ordinary sucking-up. Trying to make himself liked, if he’s struggling and in fear for his job.

  50. Massage therapist*

    I’m a massage therapist and struggle with this as well. During COVID I updated my 24 hour cancellation policy to give grace to those who wake up ill. So long as folks inform me they are ill in the morning I now waive the fee.

    if they come in anyways I will put on an N95 mask. That protects me and also communicates I’m not comfortable being around germs.

  51. Casey*

    I work in a public library. Every year during flu season, and for the occasional bug that goes around, we post a sign on the entry door (with cartoon germs and in a sickly green font for visibility): “If your child is too sick to be at school, he or she is too sick to be in the library” followed by instructions for remote ordering and contactless pickup.

    Some version of this sign might work for most businesses, and for haircutting might include language about rescheduling.

  52. La*

    My question is, what counts as “sick”? Kids cough CONSTANTLY, often for several weeks after a virus has resolved and they are no longer contagious. Little kids have runny noses 50% of the time – but parents still sent them to school, of course, as they must! Before Covid, we all went about our business if we felt well enough to function. If we canceled all kids’ appointments due to a runny nose or cough, we’d cancel half of all plans.

    You can tell when a kid is truly sick – it’s a tired look in their eyes and a lack on energy. In those cases, they clearly should be kept home.

    1. All The Tired Horses*

      Kids and people never used to get this sick for this long so often. That’s why you could cancel and reschedule plans before every time you were sick without basically giving up your life.

      Now, due to system immune and organ damage from multiple covid infections, most people are much more ill, much more often, and the illnesses last longer. It also makes them more reluctant to cancel things which makes them spread even more illness around.

      I am immunocompromised and I remember very clearly being made fun of and people using mock concern about being sick multiple times a year, and having to stay home for a few days to a week with severe symptoms “just from a cold”. I was told over and over again how abnormal I was.

      Unfortunately, I am no longer abnormal because most people have now damages their immune systems so severely by exposing themselves to COVID over and over shin that they are even more immunocompromised than I am.

  53. HowDoesSheDoItAll?*

    The spa/nail salon I’m a regular at has a very strict don’t visit if you’re sick policy. They say it’s because a lot of their clientele are cancer patients or have compromised immune systems. (They offer therapeutic massage.) They make the policy very clear in their online booking. Their policy is also that they won’t charge you a no-show fee for illness. In addition, they have printed signs (just a regular piece of white paper) posted on the doors and in the elevator, reminding people not to enter if they are sick. Honestly, it’s one of the reasons why I’m a regular there. I appreciate that they have set a boundary.

  54. DR*

    To really incentivize customers to not come in when they’re sick don’t charge them a cancellation fee. Being sick isn’t in their control so seems like if you don’t want them to come you should waive cancellation fee. This is what I did when I was a massage therapist. If someone keeps cancelling and saying they’re sick you can say next time we’ll have to charge you a cancellation fee due to the frequent cancellation but otherwise you’re penalizing people for something out of their control and it encourages them to show up when they’re sick.

  55. RedinSC*

    This is the text I received in Nov from my salon, and it’s totally reasonable:

    The salon has tightened up on their sick and cancellation policies. Same day cancellation is subject to a fee of 50%. If you have, or have had a fever within 48 hours of your appointment, cough or flu-like symptoms, please let us know and we sill reschedule. If you are feeling better and still have some lingering symptoms I have masks available for you. Thank you for your patience and help keeping everyone in the salon well for the holidays.

    I think you could add in, please do not bring sick children.

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