The United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division into six Suffolk and Nassau County nail salons has led to the recovery of over $178 thousand in damages and back wages for 95 underpaid nail salon workers, as well as $24,646 in civil monetary penalties. The violations occurred between 2012 and 2015.
The Wage and Hour Division’s Long Island District Office director Irv Miljoner commented on the investigation, saying:
“Nail salon workers cannot afford to be underpaid. The industry employs vulnerable workers less likely to complain about unfair labor practices because of language barriers and fear of losing their jobs.”
The Wage and Hour Division implemented an ongoing strategic enforcement initiative to help educate low-wage nail salon workers about their rights as employees and eliminate wage violations. A lot of nail salon workers are paid in cash at the end of the work day at a flat rate to avoid maintaining accurate time records and to avoid paying them overtime wages.
The locations and settlements in question include:
- Aegean Spa & Nails: This West Babylon location will pay $14,384 in back wages and $14,384 in liquidated damages to 17 employees, as well as $4,928 in civil monetary penalties.
- M B Relaxation Spa: This Massapequa location will pay $17,986 in back wages to 13 employees, as well as $4,004 in civil monetary penalties.
- Nails & Relaxation Spa 1: This Copiague location will pay $31,365 in back wages and $31,365 in liquidated damages to 19 employees, as well as $5,544 in civil monetary penalties.
- Nails & Relaxation Spa III: This Bellmore location will pay $14,912 in back wages and $14,912 in liquidated damages to 27 employees, as well as $8,316 in civil monetary penalties.
- Nails & Relaxation IV: This Ronkonkoma location will pay $21,532 to 13 employees.
- Nails & Relaxation V: This Farmingville location will pay $9,045 in back wages and $9,045 in liquidated damages to 6 employees, as well as $1,848 in civil monetary penalties.
Our Houston overtime lawyers at Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC work to ensure that hard-working employees exploited by their employers are fairly compensated for the work they do. No matter how your employer violated employment and labor laws, contact our overtime attorneys by filling out our online form, or by calling.
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