Would you expect your employer to purchase your scissors?

[user 67568]

No one is thinking you are attacking stylists, but as an employer it is your salon so why should he buy new of anything!! Being fair to him/her you can as I say claim back on your tax return, he can't, and it is you who wants him to have another pair!!

So - it's your resonsibility to buy them, you will get a happier stylist by being good to him/her and in the end increase business because people will come back because he won't be standing winging to his customer about you expecting him to buy equipment by rights you should buy!

The money that hair businesses make and the little they pay their staff for what by rights is a skilled worker should be able to afford to buy him/her a new pair of sissors!!

The profit you can make from a happy stylist would be far greater than an unhappy stylist, getting good stylists are hard to find, and you could end up making him/her that unhappy you may lose more than the money you can claim back on a tax return!!

 

[classixuk]

I've never bought a stylist their scissors in my life, unless it was for an incentivised prize or part of a student kit.
Frankly if I turned up at a salon and the employer handed me a pair of scissors and a comb etc. I would think they are still wet behind the ears.

 

[souz]

i think hairdressers should provide their own tools as if they leave to go somewhere else they are going to want to take the scissors they are used to with them, i think its nice that you have offered to match his money though so that he can get a really good pair.

you cannot compare it being the same as a beauty therapist, wax pots are the same wherever you go, now as a nail tech i would expect to take my own brush somewhere as again that is personal choice xx

 

[Tomme]

I've never bought a stylist their scissors in my life, unless it was for an incentivised prize or part of a student kit.
Frankly if I turned up at a salon and the employer handed me a pair of scissors and a comb etc. I would think they are still wet behind the ears.

I agree I would not use scissors provided, and unless the combs were 01 pro tip ones I would use my own, but, like said above, it is an employers responsibility to provide all equipment for the work, if the employee chooses not to use said equipment and provide their own then its their choice. Each stylist likes their own scissors, we all know that, but its still to the point that a stylist wouldn't expect to have to buy their own stock, dryers, electric etc unless self employed. Xoxo

 

[NiCshairstudio]

When I first started out in the industry my boss at the time brought my combs and brushes and cheap pair of scissors, to start with but once fully qualified and let loose so to speak she expected me to buy a decent pair of scissors, I'm not sure if people have commented in here not understanding the differences between quality and price of scissors.... Mine like blue said are my babies, the first pair I brought myself where £180 on sale! I have had them years!!! And are still my fave! I get them resharpened and if anyone ever touches them, we'll they know not too, drop them and that's it all over never to be used again!!

Your scissors become an extension of your hand as a stylist and I would never use a set given by an employer for long, if you have pride in your work (which you should, this is people's hair at the end of the day and your rep as a stylist) then you should want to use the best, I have my eye on a £600 set, so to all the people saying they expect their employer to provide, what price limit are you expecting? Scissors can go into the thousands mark! And they are your prized possession!

If I provided my staff with any, they would not be theirs, they would not leave the shop, they would be my salons! and the staff member would simply be borrowing them and sign a contract that reflected this, if they were dropped they would replace them but still mine as you know break something in a shop you pay for it, so it's the same.

To the guy writing this post, your offer to Match his amount is more than fair and will allow him like you say to buy a really good pair, better for him and your shop, maybe you could do what my boss did at the time and set up he pays you back so much per month, so you buy them, but they are his and he signs to agree to pay you x amount per month until the full amount agreed is paid in full?

 

[laurakate]

Hi,

I have recently taken on my self employed stylist as employed. I have asked him to purchase some new scissors as I think he is due for some. I've told him that I would match whatever he puts in so he can buy a good pair. He has just mentioned that he cant afford it at the moment as he has just come back off holiday and has another holiday to pay for, christmas and other events. I don't think his priorities are right and that he should really invest in things that will be beneficial for him in the long run (business man thinking). Now I am thinking does he think I should buy them for him because I have paid for everything else. Anyway's any help on this would be great and what scissors would you recommend and the importance of a good pair.

Thanks

If he's self employed it's up to him to provide stuff because it's his business.

If he's employed, that makes you his employer and it is your responsibility to buy the scissors and any other kit.

There should be no grey areas here, it really is as simple as that.

Edit: Having read this thread and how people feel that scissors are something personal to the hairdresser, the above still stands from a legal perspective but I guess I can understand why a hairdresser would prefer to have their own scissors. I think initially scissors should be provided by the employer as tools of the trade but the option should remain for the stylist to use their own scissors but only if they choose to.

 

[laurakate]

There is one major lesson I have learned in my hair career. NEVER work for a salon owner who is not a Hairstylist themselves. Business professionals from a corporate world think they know how our business should be run. Non-Stylist owners have been the worst and most disrespectful to the trade. That sort of owner is simply looking to use a staff for their own financial benefit without realizing that there is NOT an excess of profit to be made once the bills and overhead are paid in a Salon. I stopped working for those types when I finally got sick of them thinking they deserved half my income because they sit in an office and write checks. The ones doing the work and handling client retention are the Stylists. Clients don't visit a Salon, they visit their stylist!

I've seen this in beauty too. I would much prefer to work for another professional rather than a business person. It's hard to put into words but having gone for interviews with business people (rather than senior beauty therapists), I think they were in some ways confused about what they were looking for in an employee and what to offer as part of that.

I'm not saying all business minded people are bad managers, not at all, I'm just saying that it's important that a salon owner knows about and values the industry that they wish to make money in because having a business head is important but you need to be industry aware too.

(Bit off topic but yeah).

 

[pinky lou]

If he's self employed it's up to him to provide stuff because it's his business.

If he's employed, that makes you his employer and it is your responsibility to buy the scissors and any other kit.

There should be no grey areas here, it really is as simple as that.

Sorry but that's so wrong.
Scissors are personal thing you need to have some perfect for you.

If a stylist prefers scissors costing hundreds of £s how is it fair that the salon owner should pay?

I personally have more then 1 pair of scissors I use so should the owner only provide one pair or each pair the stylist owns?

Plus to turn it around if the owner provides the scissors they own them. When the stylist leaves they would have to leave the scissors behind.

Although stylists have a preference to things i.e dryers, brushes, products they can learn to use/get used to others.

This is not the same as scissors

 

[Tomme]

Sorry but that's so wrong.
Scissors are personal thing you need to have some perfect for you.

If a stylist prefers scissors costing hundreds of £s how is it fair that the salon owner should pay?

I personally have more then 1 pair of scissors I use so should the owner only provide one pair or each pair the stylist owns?

Plus to turn it around if the owner provides the scissors they own them. When the stylist leaves they would have to leave the scissors behind.

Although stylists have a preference to things i.e dryers, brushes, products they can learn to use/get used to others.

This is not the same as scissors

I think its more that a pair of scissors should be supplied, not exactly high quality, but at any rate some should be available for use. And yes like you said they should be left when the stylist leaves as the salon owns them just as they would not be allowed to take the chair or station.
In regards to the op, the person is self employed and therefore has no right to salon equipment nor yourself to dictate they need new scissors xoxo

 

[NiCshairstudio]

I think its more that a pair of scissors should be supplied, not exactly high quality, but at any rate some should be available for use. And yes like you said they should be left when the stylist leaves as the salon owns them just as they would not be allowed to take the chair or station.
In regards to the op, the person is self employed and therefore has no right to salon equipment nor yourself to dictate they need new scissors xoxo

Stylists taking off with the unit and chair has really amused me haha, but as a salon owner you would want your stylists to be using the best for them, but by doing this you would go out of business, so I wouldn't wanna buy my stylist crap scissors knowing they could be achieving much better looks with a decent pair of their own and they would take pride in them, if they are not yours you don't care for them and misuse and miss treat them

 

[Little Angel]

I know this is an old thread but just to clarify and this is the uk, I had a wage inspection last year and as an employer you have the responsibility of providing equiptment for your stylists. So basically you need to have a tray of brushes and scissors whether they use them or not, whether they are cheap crappy ones or not so long as they are available you have met your legal requirement.

However I have in 28 years never had anyone use any scissors or brushes other than there own. Hairdressing I think has its own unspoken rules and quirks that only we get. X

 

[Fabby]

Sorry but that's so wrong.
Scissors are personal thing you need to have some perfect for you.

If a stylist prefers scissors costing hundreds of £s how is it fair that the salon owner should pay?

I personally have more then 1 pair of scissors I use so should the owner only provide one pair or each pair the stylist owns?

Plus to turn it around if the owner provides the scissors they own them. When the stylist leaves they would have to leave the scissors behind.

Although stylists have a preference to things i.e dryers, brushes, products they can learn to use/get used to others.

This is not the same as scissors

No, you are wrong. It is up to the employer to provide all equipment neccecery for the job. No it’s not up for debate, that is the law and that is fact. Again, this is it, it’s the employers responsibility. On top of that the employee has no say in what they get. Hairdressing does have an unspoken rule of you buying your own equipment but at the end of the day, the law says otherwise. If the employee says ‘no thanks, I’ll buy my own’ then that’s different all together. I buy my own scissors, my own YS park Clips, my own YS park combs and brushes even my own framar tint brushes, bowls and balayage board because I don’t like the cheap stuff they use in salon and I like my own stuff being as I left it, in fact, every stylist other than 1 has taken my lead and we all have YS park now.

 

[Amelia Kayte]

If your expecting your employer to buy your equipment for you if they leave you have all right to keep it, then how is that employer ment to do there job I’ve always bought my own equipment, it’s expensive and it’s only fair you buy your own stuff I say!

 

[Erinlouis13]

If you buy him scissors then there your scissors that you lend him so they should be kept properly and not ever taken out of the salon and of he leaves they stay with you. But really he should be buying them himself.

 

[AcidPerm]

This thread is from 6 years ago so I’m sure the OP has resolved his dilemma by now.