The federal Department of Labor, through its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has secured a $753,500 judgment against three Rhode Island nail salons and their owner for:
$265,000 in unpaid overtime for 70 employees;
$265,000 “liquidated” (automatic) damages;
$12,500 punitive damages for forcing employees to sign false documents;
$168,000 to one employee, terminated and threatened for complaining about illness from exposure to undiluted sanitizer; and
$23,500 to another employee the owner threatened.
The defendants also must train supervisors against retaliation; have a payroll monitor for two years; facilitate labor practices education for the salon industry and post employee rights notices in three languages.

Boston Regional Solicitor of Labor Maia Fisher stated: “Unfortunately, workers face several types of unlawful conduct by their employers, including unfair wages, unsafe working conditions and retaliation. When workers’ rights are violated under multiple statutes, the U.S. Department of Labor will move decisively to vindicate their rights in as holistic a way as possible.”

Take-Aways:

$753,500 is a lot of manicures. Business survival depends on commitment to workplace compliance long before government authorities come calling.

For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

See also:
Age Claims Never Grow Old: San Diego Employer Steps in It (April 19, 2024)
Staffing Agency Meltdown: Discrimination Settlement Shuts Down National Firm (April 12, 2024)
A Memorable $3.6m Lesson: “Unforgettable” Roofing Co. Hit for Knee-Jerk Retaliation and Intimidation: Not So Fondly Recollected (March 17, 2023)
Helena Kobrin
July 19, 2024