What You Need to Know about Nail Salon Task Forces
You've probably heard about the recent War on Nail Salons in New York. It's been a hot topic ever since the NY Times published their groundbreaking article about the harsh working conditions in many salons around New York city. That article got pretty much every state talking about their own nail salon task force to whip these places into shape. So if you’re in the business of manicures and nail art, you might be wondering if you should be worried.
The short answer is probably not. Most task forces will be looking for extreme cases of worker exploitation and toxic chemicals. But just to make sure we're all clear on what to expect, let’s look at the major issues they’ll be looking for.
Do your workers get paid minimum wage and overtime?
The New York times article focused heavily on the exploitation of illegal immigrants. Many of the nail techs spoke little to no English, and believed they couldn't get a job elsewhere. So they didn’t argue when their manager told them they have to work 12 hours a day for little more than tips. One of the justifications for poor wages was tip income, but in many cases that still didn't provide a living wage. That's the situation many states want to fix. The NY state site provides a few calculations regarding tip income and regular wages.
Do you provide your workers with the appropriate protective equipment, and is it used?
They're talking gloves and mask here. They'd like nail techs to use a fresh pair of gloves for pretty much every new job and customer. There are a lot of strong chemicals flying around a nail salon (we'll get to that next), and a lot of foot touching. That means plenty of opportunities for harmful bacteria to spread and for nail polish and remover to eat into the lungs and the skin. Good safety equipment practice cuts all these dangers down.
Is there adequate ventilation? (No strong chemical odors)
Nail polish is smelly. And even if you like the smell, or have gotten used to it, it isn't healthy. We've addressed this issue before in our Green Salon blog post, but it's worth mentioning the toxic trio again. In most polishes you get a combination of toluene, formaldehyde, and phthalate (we're still not sure how to pronounce that one). A lot of products claim to be free of one or all of these, but that's a dubious claim at best. The simplest and surest way to get your air healthy is to open the windows, get some fans blowing, and maybe decorate your place with a few live plants.
Is the Salon business license posted in plain view?
This should be a no brainer, but it's one of the first things they'll look for. It's a quick red flag for salon owners who are running something shady. So if you have it, show it proudly. And if you don't, well... What are you doing running a business when you don't have a business license?
Is the nail salon workers' bill of rights posted in plain view?
This is a little less of a no brainer, but it's just about keeping your employees informed, and letting everyone know they're informed. New York Governor Cuomo even drew up a new card for salon owners to put up on their walls just for this. Your state might be a little different, but either way you should have something like hanging in your business.
Now Clean Up and Get Involved
It's a tough time for nail artists right now. With all this talk of toxic chemicals and worker exploitation it's easy to forget the beauty you're trying to create. But there are people dedicated to the improvement of this industry, who are trying to make it healthier and better for the artists and customers. Groups like the California Healthy Nail Salons organization have been around for a while, trying to solve poor working conditions and find alternatives to toxic chemicals. So don't let yourself get too put down, and if you're feeling passionate about this, take a look at health concerned groups around you and see what you can do to help.