File photo manicurist cutting client's cuticle with nail scissors. Photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / ivanriverFile photo manicurist cutting client's cuticle with nail scissors. Photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / ivanriver
Midwestern

Support group created for local personal care workers

A group of personal care service workers in the Hanover-Walkerton area want people to know it's been difficult not to be looking after their clients.

About 50 hairstylists, reflexologists, nail technicians and others have formed a support group among themselves. Jennifer Walker is a spokesperson for the group. She says they want people to know they have no choice in not being able to provide their services.

"All of us in our group have been approached, numerous times, by clients asking if we will discreetly do their hair. What we want to get out to people is that we could lose our licence for doing something like that. We could face fines for doing something like that. We are staying to true to our professionalism and our trade in light of this," says Walker.

She says they have no idea when they'll be allowed to reopen. That's up to the province. Walker says they'd like nothing better than to get back to work.

"We miss our clients dearly, we miss our people dearly. Some of us have been working 20, 30 plus years and we miss these people. We want to get back to work. But what we need them to understand is work is going to look differently when we do come back."

She says when they do reopen they'll have to implement policies around personal protective equipment, sanitation, customer spacing and volume, all of which will cost the providers money. And because many work from their homes, they also have to consider the safety of their families. Walker adds, on top of all the issues they're facing, they're having to deal with loss of income.

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