State Shuts Down 2-Dozen Nail Salons Over Labor Violations

The Connecticut Labor Department has shut down two dozen nail salons following a series of inspections statewide.

The agency issued stop-work orders to 24 salons for what it says are wage law violations.

Salons in Meriden, Hamden, Milford, Bridgeport, Fairfield, and Greenwich have been ordered to close.

According to the Labor Department's Division of Wage and Workplace Standards, the two dozen nail salons were issued stop-work orders for violations that included misclassifying employees as independent contractors, no worker's compensation coverage, and cash payments without maintaining required payroll records.

“Although we recognize the importance of keeping businesses open and employees on the job, our first responsibility is to ensure that workers are being paid correctly for the jobs that they do, and proper protections are in place should they get injured while on the job,” State Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby said in a statement.

Under state law, businesses are fined $300 per worker per day that they are in violation. A business can reopen once it provides proof that the deficiencies have been corrected, according to the Department of Labor.

The agency is working with the nail salons to get them into compliance and try to get many reopened by the weekend, Westby said.