Gov. Cuomo Cracks Down on New York Nail Salons

The Governor has begun taking steps to address issues with labor safety and immigration that are reportedly plaguing the nail industry.

After the New York Times published a startling account of widespread violation and abuse of workers in nail salons across New York, Governor Cuomo has taken swift action.

In addition to problems with the immigration status of many nail salon employees, wages only meet minimum in a quarter of the reported cases, and exposure to the chemicals and conditions of the shops has led to many enduring serious health problems.

"New York State has a long history of confronting wage theft and unfair labor practices head on, and today, with the formation of this new Enforcement Task Force, we are aggressively following in that tradition," reads a statement from Gov. Cuomo. “We will not stand idly by as workers are deprived of their hard-earned wages and robbed of their most basic rights.”

According to the New York Times, the plan is multifaceted:

Salons will be required to publicly post signs that inform workers of their rights, including the fact that it is illegal to work without wages or to pay money for a job — a common practice in the nail salon industry, according to workers and owners. The signs will be in half a dozen languages, including those most spoken in the industry — Korean, Chinese and Spanish.

Permanent measures are expected to be implemented in the coming months.