How should you handle a sick employee or client?

• A. Use standard precautions; reschedule services; isolate if necessary; maintain sanitation protocol.
• B. Ignore symptoms and continue services.
• C. Share client information with competitors.
• D. Send home only those who officially call in sick.

Answer: (A)

When someone in the salon is sick, the priority is to prevent the spread of illness by applying standard precautions and taking appropriate steps with the sick person. This means treating every client and staff member as if they could be contagious, practicing good hand hygiene, using protective gear as needed, and ensuring surfaces, tools, and stations are cleaned and disinfected between clients. If a staff member or client shows symptoms, reschedule their service and have them leave or be separated from others until they’re able to depart safely. Maintaining the sanitation protocol throughout the day is essential to minimize transmission risk and protect everyone in the space. This approach upholds health, safety, and ethical responsibilities; ignoring symptoms or sharing private information, or only sending home those who officially call in sick, fails to protect people or maintain trust.