My hairdresser and I have known each other for a long time. It must have been 22 years. I always go back to the same one because the result does not vary. I like consistency when it comes to haircut. For 22 years, she delivers the same result without failed. That is why even as she moved to another location, I followed. That is why even as I have moved house, I still return to her.

I can’t tell your her name or which branch she is at right now. What I can say is that she is from Jean Yip, one of the chains in Singapore. She seldom takes leave. The only time she takes leave is when she returns to her home country during major festivals or when she takes an oversea trip with her friends. For more than two decades of working as a hairdresser, she had accumulated close to one year worth of leave.

To cash out her leave, she would need to take a 30% penalty. That is Jean Yip’s policy. She cashed out some. Because who knows. Policy changes all the time.

In the time of Covid-19, the service industry is being hit the hardest. As part of ‘circuit breaker’ phase 1 here in Singapore, basic barber service was still allowed. As someone who has leave balance, she was asked to take leave. And as ‘circuit breaker’ phase 2 kicked in, barber serviced is no longer allowed.

It must have been a stressful period for those who are in the service industry, as I can imagine. Imagine not knowing when one can resume work.

Each crisis affects different segments of people. I feel blessed that I still have a job, and working from home. I will most likely look like a caveman when life goes back to normalcy. Perhaps I shall take this opportunity to grow my hair long and have a different hairstyle for a change.