In point of fact, barbers and hair dressers are virtually always independent contractors sharing a shop space. It's basically never the case in North America t

In point of fact, barbers and hair dressers are virtually always independent contractors sharing a shop space. It's basically never the case in North America that they're employees; this saves the shop owner all sorts of hassle, but puts the onus on the barber/hair dresser as the responsible business owner and thus the one required to be licenced. They provide their own clippers and barbasol. The hair dresser themself is the management that needs to provide necessary resources. Compare with the comment above about "should we licence dish washers too?" No, because dish washers are employees of a restaurant that deals with licencing and compliance with food safety laws.