Posts By: Alana Drayton

Ever worked in a salon, realised it was toxic and unhealthy, left for another salon… only to find that they were toxic and unhealthy too? It becomes a vicious, exhausting cycle and it can make working in hair and beauty really bleak. So what can we do to fix this? One of the founders of […]

Salon rent-a-chairs seem to be popping up all over the place. For employers, it’s a way to make money without taking on the full financial commitment of a staff member, and for stylists, it’s a taste of what it’s like to own your own business and take responsibility for your clientele.   But it’s also […]

At HSA we know the best salons to work in are where the boss and staff are able to work together. That’s why we created the Ethical Salons initiative, to celebrate and recognise those owners who are doing right by their staff, and to give them support where they need it. So what does it […]

Far too many young men and women are afraid to speak up in case their complaints come back to bite them. What can you do when you speak out about exploitation in your workplace and the salon turns against you? Our HSA Ambassador Liz did report her employer’s illegal behaviour, and when the situation got […]

In a massive win for HSA, the Fair Work Commission has rejected Hair and Beauty Australia’s (HABA) bid to slash penalty rates for hair and beauty workers. HSA, with the support of the SDA and AWU, have been fighting the case for two years. HABA pushed for penalty rates to decrease from 200% to 150% […]

Many apprentices in the Hair and Beauty industry come straight from high school onto the salon floor – or even leave before they finish Year 12. These young men and women without experience in the workforce, or in adult situations, need an extra duty of care that often just isn’t given to them. One of […]

When you’re an apprentice, it can feel like you’re being put through the wringer. Bullying, underpayments, and withheld entitlements are all too common with our members, but one HSA Ambassador has broken the cycle, and we’re proud to share her story. Vanessa started her hair styling career six years ago after, beginning at Toowoomba TAFE. […]

Wage theft is very common in the hair and beauty industry – there are so many small businesses run by employers who don’t know the full extent of the law, who don’t have fancy accounting software, or who straight up just exploit their staff and hope to get away with it. As an employee, it […]

Did you know that at HSA, we don’t just cover hair stylists? We also look after beauty therapists and beauticians, too! Today we’re telling the story of one of our WA ambassadors, Mia. Mia earned her Certificate II in Beauty Therapy, and completed her training at a local day spa. Like hair stylists, beauty trainees […]

Summer is here and Christmas is around the corner, which means holidays! 🏖 While it’s the busiest time of year for most salons, you need to make sure you get a break too! Your employer is not obliged to accept every leave request, but they must not unreasonably refuse to agree to a request for […]