Protect the educational standards of the beauty industry

LESS EDUCATION IS NOT THE ANSWER

WHAT IS HB-399

House Bill 399 seeks to significantly reduce the number of clock hours required for licensure as a cosmetologist from 1500 hours to 1000 hours. Currently a newly licensed cosmetologist in the State of Ohio can seek licensure in 30 states without the need of investing in any additional education. If HB-399 becomes law, that same newly licensed cosmetologist would be left with only two states (New York and Massachusetts) to transfer to without further investment in education.

The proponents of this bill claim that the current licensure requirements are overburdensome and that lowering hour requirements will lead to less debt. No one will argue that less debt is a bad thing, however HB-399 doesn’t make cosmetology education any cheaper, it simply removes half of the education. Buying a car for 50% off seems like a great deal until you realize that the car you bought is missing half of its parts.

Support the beauty industry and beauty professionals by making sure that education and licensure standards are not lowered in order for a few large companies to make a few more bucks. Protect my profession.

Please sign the petition for House Bill 399.

HB-399 PETITION

Dear Senator

Legislation introduced by the Ohio Salon Association to “address overly burdensome cosmetology and barbering licensing law” is an attack on professional licensure in the cosmetology and barbering industry and on anyone who chooses to seek advanced licensure.

While this legislation is couched as economically favorable for cosmetologists and barbers, it is actually an effort by a non-profit corporation that is a front for big salon business to control the market for cosmetologists and barbers.

I. Argument 1: Public safety
<ul>
 	<li>Less education results in less experience and expertise, thereby creating greater risk of harm to individuals for improper performance of services.</li>
 	<li>According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of personal appearance jobs (Salon and Spa Industry) is projected to increase 15 percent between 2010 and 2020, slightly above the rate of growth of total U.S. employment (14 percent) during the same period.
<ul>
 	<li>As a result, education is extremely important and public safety measures are equally taught and learned in theory as they are taught and learned through practical implementation and experience while overseen by instructors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
II. Argument 2: Harm to small businesses
<ul>
 	<li>A less educated workforce will result in cosmetologists and barbers who will be ill-equipped to move straight in to entrepreneurship and independent contracting which is currently growing rapidly under current regulation and law</li>
 	<li>While large salons have the capacity and infrastructure to engage in on the job training, small businesses do not have the infrastructure, time, or luxury to engage in these services.</li>
 	<li>Entry into work force of less trained people could mean a variety of scenarios that are harmful to small businesses:
<ul>
 	<li>New graduates choose to go to larger salons with aggressive non-compete contracts to obtain on the job training.
<ul>
 	<li>Monopolization/concentration of all new graduates in larger salons.
<ul>
 	<li>No candidates for small, family owned businesses that make up a large portion of the salon market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>New graduates enter salons without sufficient training levels, thereby making them less likely to succeed on their own.</li>
 	<li> Small businesses forced to divert resources away from other economic growth to engage in on the job training.</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>Businesses of less than 20 employees (like a salon) make up 89.6 percent of employers in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012)
<ul>
 	<li>Harm to small businesses = harm to a large employment sector.</li>
 	<li>Per the Professional Beauty Association, the salon and spa industry out-performed the overall private sector during the recession.</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>Per 2012 data from the Professional Beauty Association, roughly 1.1 million professionals work in personal appearance occupations in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Individuals in these occupations have a much higher rate of self-employment, as compared to the overall workforce.</li>
 	<li>Where self-employed, obtaining on the job training is much more difficult, thereby increasing risk of public safety concerns.</li>
</ul>
III. Argument 3: Harm to women owned businesses
<ul>
 	<li>61% of the salons and spas are owned by women and 98% of these business are single unit establishments</li>
</ul>
Counter-arguments

I. The Ohio Salon Association advances that the legislation enables new graduates to enter the beauty industry with less debt and the ability to repay student loans.
<ul>
 	<li>Argument is unsupported by data regarding student debt for new graduates.</li>
 	<li>Student debt is a large problem nationally, not limited to the cosmetology industry.</li>
 	<li>Reduction in hours does not mean reduction in student loan debt because out of pocket costs would increase for students who rely on financial aid.</li>
</ul>

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WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF HB-399?

IMPACT ON STUDENTS

Takes 1/2 of a student’s education out of the hands of passionate professional educators and puts that burden on salons.
Salons also do not have to meet the regulatory standards that accredited cosmetology programs must meet in order to ensure that the school is providing the education needed for a student to be successful. The lack of regulatory standards would result in inconsistent quality of education.
Reduced hours will not give students enough time in classroom or in clinic to learn both the safety/sanitation and the technical skills necessary to be employment ready upon graduation.
Fewer cosmetology hours could mean that the skincare and esthetics portions of cosmetology education would not get an adequate amount of time during the truncated program.
Fewer salons can afford to shoulder the financial burden of an educational program, meaning there will be fewer employment opportunities for graduates.

DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON WOMEN

Nearly 95% of beauty professionals and 85% of licensed cosmetologists are women, while women represent only 47% of the workers in all US industries.
Women own 61% of independent salons, whereas women own only 30% of businesses in all private sectors.
Proponents of HB-399 argue that the “common sense reforms are necessary to position the Ohio cosmetology industry for survival,” but the truth is that passage of HB-399 will result in the closure of numerous female owned businesses.

IMPACT ON LICENSE PORTABILITY

Newly licensed cosmetologists in Ohio can currently seek licensure in 30 states without the need of investing in any additional education.
HB-399 would reduce that same cosmetologist’s opportunities to only two states, New York and Massachusetts.

IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESS

“Mom and Pop” salons cannot afford to hire a graduate then pay someone to finish their education without the deep pockets of larger chain salons.
Salon owners and operators will be forced to divert their energy and resoruces from running the business and servicing clients to educating new employees.
Nearly 2/3 of salons and spas are small, independently-owned entrepreneurial businesses that employ less than 5 people and operate on an incredibly moderate profit margin of less than 10%.
Sub HB-189/SB-129 would force these small, independent businesses to absorb an additional cost of $5,000 to $8,000 per new hire to replace training that is currently provided to each newly licensed beauty professional in Ohio.
Small businesses are forced to either spend money to finish a graduate’s education or to spend more money hiring more senior stylists who are already experienced.
The proponents of HB-399 are owners, franchisees or officers of large, chain salon operations that stand to benefit from the demise of the small, independently-owned salon and spa who cannot bear the increased financial burden.

IMPACT ON CONSUMERS

Students will have less experience with the technical skills needed, possibly leading to unsatisfactory results.
Client safety could be at risk by having graduates with only a minimal amount of education on safety and sanitation.
Graduates lack of adequate experience will result in slower service and longer appointments for customers.
Added expense of education could result in a price increase for services.

HB-399 PETITION

Dear Senator

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