No area of employment has been hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as those who work directly with people. Those who are face-to-face and have a hands-on occupation are virtually locked out of making a living in most cities due to the fear of spreading COVID-19.
For Yvonne Upton, that has not only meant the loss of an income, but a large part of her life.
Upton is a part-time hairdresser at Simply Chic Hair & Nail Salon in Lawton. Ever since the city closed the doors on salons and barbershops a month ago, the single mother has been without a major source of revenue.
“So we stayed open until they told us we could not work anymore, but they had to legit close it down,” Upton said. “Once they completely shut us down, it was just panic mode, all of us. There’s seven of us in the salon and we were just all in this group chat just like, ‘What are we going to do?’”
In late March, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered non-essential businesses, such as hair salons and barbershops, located in the counties affected by COVID-19 to close until April 24. That has since been extended to April 30.
That news hit Konrad Jones hard. He has been a barber/hairstylist at Simple Cuts in Lawton for a year and doesn’t have the type of savings needed to be out of work for a long period of time.
“The first week or two it was kind of hit or miss at the shop,” Jones said. “We could see that the clientele was dwindling down. Doing what I do, you live day by day, week by week. You don’t get a nest egg saved up.”
Even though Upton still works her other job as an elementary school cook, not having her hair money for more than a month has been rough.
“I’m part-time, but I count on that income because I’m a single mom and I have bills to pay,” Upton said. “So I was very worried. And at first our owner, she’s a new owner, she’s very young, so we still have to pay booth rent. So I was freaking out. I just couldn’t see paying $100 for a spot that I’m unable to work at. So we were all panicked there for a little bit.”
Upton said the owner of Simply Chic changed her mind later and told the hairdressers not to worry about their monthly booth rent for the time being. But Upton knows that could change at some point.
“If it extends past the 30th, we’re all going to be hurt,” Upton said. “Including the owner because she is not getting booth rent from us. It kind of trickles down. She is like, I can’t pay my rent for building because you guys aren’t paying rent. We can’t pay rent because we can’t work. You have to try and see everyone’s point of view. It’s just as hard for her as it is for us. But it’s out of everybody’s hands, it feels like.”
Hairdressers and barbers are typically classified as self-employed. Congress and President Donald Trump recently passed the Coronavirus stimulus bill which provides funds for the self-employed and independent contractors who have been hurt by the pandemic.
However, according to Mariah Michelle Morrison, a 24-year-old cosmetologist in Norman, it has been almost impossible to collect those funds.
“With me being self-employed, typically I wouldn’t qualify for unemployment pay,” said Martin, who works at Jolie Salon & Studio. “But amendments have been made seeing as there are more than 70,000 self-employed people in the state of Oklahoma. Although I have been able to apply, I’m continuously jumping through hoops and have yet to actually receive any assistance.”
After Stitt and many of the mayors in the state closed down the barbers and salons, workers still found ways to make some money. Several were making personal house calls or even having customers come to their homes.
However, state and city officials have tried to stamp that type of activity.
“I have also gotten a few calls about doing house calls, which I would love to do, as I miss my clients terribly,” Martin said. “But I’m not willing to risk getting fined and possibly losing my license for it.”
However, for customers who have grown accustomed to getting their hair and makeup done to look their best, they are still trying to make private appointments.
With bills mounting, Upton has considered making house calls. But in the end, she said it’s not worth the price if she is caught.
“People are getting reported left and right for doing hair at home,” Upton said. “You’re not supposed to. You have to be a licensed establishment to do hair as a professional and stuff like that. So they’ll strip your license and it’s just not worth it. All it takes is someone to report you. There are two hairdressers here in Lawton who’ve had their licenses taken away. And you get fined. They are not playing.”