Ontario salon has ‘no vaccine talk rule’ to avoid conflict, protect clientele privacy

"We trust and respect your decision to do what is best for your health, but also respect the privacy of all patrons and staff alike,” they wrote. “Thank you for your understanding and cooperation."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford shared his opposition mid-July to implementing a provincial vaccine passport stating that it would cause a split society. "I’ve never believed in proof," said Ford. "The answer is no. We aren’t going to do it. We aren’t going to have a split society."

Ford also stated that he did not support workplaces requiring proof of vaccination, but said he would allow private companies to make their own decisions on the matter. These policies are kicking up controversy all over Toronto.

When asked for clarification, One Salon management told BlogTO they did not have an official policy. However, the email iterated that they “want to avoid any conflict within the salon environment."

An Angus Reid poll highlighted the discrepancy between vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians on their thoughts of asking others whether they got the jab. 55 percent of vaccinated Canadians think it's "totally fine" to ask whether someone received the jab, compared to only five percent of unvaccinated folks.

"We tend to limit topics of religion or politics in social settings where we are unsure whether the conversation is welcome. I feel this topic falls under the same parameters," said salon management. "It's really just about being considerate of others and not prying too much into people's privacy."

"We just want our clients to come and get their hair done and feel happy," continuing, their goal was to "keep unity, love and peace.” They said this decision came following some conflicts in the opening weeks of their relaunch.

As a privately-held business, they adhered to all COVID-19 public health measures that the province mandated, but said on the flip side they "do not want to discriminate or segregate based on anyone's health history."

"Following the email, they reported working in a "very pleasant and positive environment in the salon space and it feels great." While they had a few clients who were not thrilled about it, salon management reached out to them personally to explain their intent is “good and non-judgmental."

One client reached out to blogTO to state their no-vaccine talk rule was censorship, but One Salon said this was not true.