This petition is on behalf of all New York State Licensed Professionals that work under Appearance Enhancement and Massage Therapy licenses; including cosmetologists, barbers, nail technicians, estheticians, permanent makeup artists, and massage therapists. This petition is in the tone of pro-closures, but with benefits, until it is safe to work in our professions again. 

Due to public health measures aimed at curbing the  COVID-19  pandemic, our industry has taken a financial nosedive. In addition to financial setbacks from the three month closure that was implemented in March 2020, experts project that the Fall uptick in cases will continue, prompting the need for more stringent containment measures. Because of individual and structural inconsistencies in mandating, enforcing, and complying with these necessary containment measures, those individuals with included State Licenses have been once again, or will be, forced to close down their businesses in favor of protecting public welfare and safety.

Even when closures are not mandated by our State or Local governments, Professionals like us want to operate with a clear conscience and do our part to protect the safety of our clients, ourselves, and public health. However, repeated exposures and climbing infection rates continue to leave businesses that fall into “High-Touch Service” with very few options to continue operating sustainably, both during and following this pandemic. For example, even those who are taking every precaution must close every time a customer informs us of a potential exposure/ positive test. We must remove part or all of our work force from rotation every time an employee or their live-in housemate has a potential exposure/positive test. The turn-around time of tests (if a business is open) also leaves us out of work more than we are able to provide services, each time we close due to exposure. This is not sustainable.

Licensed Appearance Enhancement and Massage Therapy Professionals have next to no options to operate their businesses remotely in a way that can sustainably support their existing staff and financial viability. We *must* touch individuals to generate income. This sets us apart from retail-only businesses and food service, who can provide curbside services, or trades than can operate remotely. Many licensed professionals are self-employed or own a studio, and under current New York State guidelines, do not qualify for unemployment. Employees within these types of studios no longer qualify for supplemental unemployment. In light of rising case rates and hospitalizations, we are coming into the holiday season faced with the threat of repeated unemployment. This time, there is no safety net available to protect the numerous small businesses and employees that operate within these industries.

The end of the year and holiday season is when we usually see our monthly income double, at least. For example, most WNY professionals consulted in the writing of this petition were able to show at least 75% of a loss in sales in the Covid months of 2020. This holiday season, COVID-19 threatens the viability of our individual businesses and industry, and the personal and financial well-being of the individuals that work within it. When we see mounting infection percentages at the close of 2020, going into the new year of 2021, we come to a crossroads:

(A)  Individuals and businesses that are not mandated to close can continue to take themselves out of work and force closures, which results in zero income. Operating on continued losses with no end in sight is detrimental for any business, but in our case, we cannot generate income without interacting with our clients in close proximity.

(B)  Those who work until mandated by the government to close up shop, will cram in as many customers as possible during the current uptick in COVID-19 cases. This places employees and their family members at high-risk for contracting COVID-19 in impossible situations. Even businesses who do not do “under the mask” services (lip waxing, beard trims, etc) run the risk of spreading the virus due to the need for close proximity to perform our jobs. Studios that choose to stay in operation will still likely experience a loss in income and profits as clients cancel daily due to exposure concerns. Again - we *must* touch individuals to generate income.

We attend thousands of hours of education per person, per license, paying thousands in school tuitions in order to take State exams + attain our license. A large portion of each license’s study includes public health protocols, and our industry professionals have done their part to stop the spread. But given the current circumstances, there is only so much that we can do.

We are asking New York State to prioritize continued support for the individuals it licenses. We just cannot do it without financial assistance!

Almost everybody in this country utilizes at least one high-touch service provider for anything from hair, nails, massage, skincare, etc. To ensure we can continue providing services to our clients when it is safe to do so, we need help. Some forms of assistance that would help businesses like us survive would be guaranteed unemployment for staff + self-employed professionals, a license-specific stimulus package, financial incentive to voluntarily close to curb the spread when not mandated, utility and rent assistance, and a pause on upcoming tax payments.

We hope the government can help us, so this large touch-based industry can once again thrive when it is safe.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and thank you for your time.