Disclaimer: My Google alerts and feeds are a hot mess, thanks to the deluge of city/county specific guidelines for businesses. This means I have had to sift through thousands of articles about thousands of small local areas...before I eventually gave up and started searching the news using the keywords "state name+salons."

I've done my best to locate only the most recent state and federal resources, but I highly recommend you keep updated on your local requirements as well. What applies in your state may not apply in your locality, and what applies in your locality may not actually be enforced, depending on your local sheriff's personal opinions about virology. (I don't think you need me to tell you what's going on out there. Things are weird.)

Understanding the FLSA: Tools for Workers and Employers

Updated EEOC COVID-19 Q&As

Pride Month Miracle: Title VII Now Protects LGBTQIA

New OSHA FAQs Focuses on Masks

As it has continued to do throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA released new guidance—this time, a series of frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) on the use of masks in the workplace, which outline the differences between cloth face coverings, surgical masks, and respirators.

Hospital prevails in EEOC suit over Christian employee who refused to wear a mask.

This seemingly minor pre-COVID-19 scuffle over a Christian employee’s refusal to wear a face mask (in lieu of a flu vaccine) could prove to be significant as employers, cautiously reopening their worksites following pandemic-induced shutdowns, adopt mandatory mask policies as a safety measure—and face employee opposition.

Walmart's 'failures and refusal' to prevent COVID-19 exposure caused employee's illness, lawsuit says.

On June 11, a 72-year old part-time Walmart employee sued the retail giant in a Texas state court alleging that she became infected with the coronavirus due to her employer’s failure to take measures to protect employees from exposure. The employee claims that Walmart breached its duty to provide a safe working environment by: failing to provide PPE, failing to enforce social distancing measures, failing to warn employees of the potential risks of employment with respect to COVID-19, and failing to train employees on how to minimize the risk of infection.

The Gender Fallout of COVID-19

"According to an April 2020 LeanIn.org/SurveyMonkey study, one in four women reported having physical and mental symptoms of stress and anxiety as compared with one in ten men. In the same survey, 31 percent of women with full-time jobs said they were overloaded at both work and home, as compared with 13 percent of men. This situation is simply not sustainable."

As a female-dominated industry, this article is required reading for all salon owners.