Rising Sickness Crisis Highlights Urgent Need to Protect Beauty Industry Workforce

Warnings that the UK is ‘sliding into an economic crisis’ due to rising sickness levels have hit home for the beauty sector - a people-centred industry where work is highly physical and often demanding. With new figures showing ill health costing employers £85bn a year, many beauty leaders are voicing concern for a workforce already under physical and emotional pressure.

Beauty and wellness professionals spend long hours on their feet, performing highly skilled, hands-on work that can lead to back, shoulder and joint strain. Add to that the emotional load of client care and the seasonal rush heading into Christmas, and the risk of burnout grows. For small businesses and salons, every absence is deeply felt,  not only in financial terms but in the wellbeing of close-knit teams.

As the government calls for greater investment in workplace health, leading figures in the beauty and aesthetics community are already putting wellbeing at the heart of their workforces. From ergonomic training and flexible scheduling to mental health awareness and supportive team cultures, many see care for practitioners as the cornerstone of long-term business health.

Leading experts across the sector share their perspective on how to protect and support the people behind the treatments:

Lesley Blair MBE, CEO and Chair of The British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC) comments:

“Many beauty businesses will be doing their best to look after staff, but they’ll be under enormous pressure coming up to the Christmas season. When workloads rise and sickness levels nationally are at a record high, it’s easy for wellbeing to slip down the list. At BABTAC, we’re encouraging owners to build simple measures into daily routines including regular breaks, posture awareness, and honest conversations about workload. Supporting staff isn’t just the right thing to do, it protects the business too by retaining talent and maintaining standards.”

Karen Betts, businesswoman, beauty industry expert, and pioneer of permanent make-up adds:

“In the run-up to Christmas, demand always surges and many of our treatments require absolute precision and concentration. You can’t deliver the same standard of work if you’re overtired or in pain. Safeguarding staff through sensible scheduling, proper rest and even small things like good lighting and seating makes all the difference - we also encourage they stay hydrated between clients. When our permanent makeup artists feel supported, clients get the best results - it’s that simple.”

Mr Patrick Mallucci (MBChB, MD, FRCS Plast), leading aesthetic surgeon and founder of Mallucci says:

“Aesthetic work is highly specialised and physically demanding and requires control, concentration, and the ability to perform fine, technical procedures under pressure. To maintain that standard, practitioner wellbeing can’t be an afterthought. We need to treat health and performance as one and the same: proper rest, ergonomics and mental focus are what allow us to deliver safe, consistent results for patients. It’s about maintaining excellence, not endurance.”