U.S. Department of Labor Sues Hair Salon for Firing Stylist Following Reports of Health and Safety Hazards

KENNETT SQUARE, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Blown Away Dry Bar and Salon and its owners, Jennifer and Rand Singer, for allegedly terminating a hairstylist whose husband reported hazards to the Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

In March 2017, salon employees were exposed to sewage and chemicals resulting from a plumbing backup and subsequent cleanup at the Kennett Square salon. The owners ignored stylists’ complaints of nausea and headaches. Concerned that the employees were exposed to hazardous materials, one stylist’s husband reported the conditions to OSHA. After learning the stylist’s husband contacted the agency, the owners fired the stylist, who later filed a complaint with OSHA alleging that her termination was retaliation for engaging in protected activity under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). OSHA’s investigation found that the complainant was terminated in violation of Section 11(c) of the OSH Act.

The lawsuit seeks to:

• Prevent Blown Away Salon and the Singers from retaliating against employees, a violation of Section 11(c)(1) of the OSH Act;
• Provide damages plus interest for past and future lost wages resulting from the termination;
• Post a notice at the salon for 60 days stating that it will not discriminate or retaliate against employees involved in activities protected by Section 11 (c) of the OSH Act; and,
• Reimburse the employee for all legal costs.

“The actions of the salon owners to determine who notified OSHA and the termination of the employee violated the law,” said OSHA’s Acting Regional Administrator Michael Rivera. “All employees have the right to report workplace safety or health hazards without fear of retaliation from their employer.”

OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of 22 statutes protecting employees who report violations of various airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, motor vehicle safety, health care reform, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, and securities laws. For more information, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs page.

Under the OSH Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by settling and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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Editor’s note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.