New York Nail Salons Owe $2 Million to Cheated Employees

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is continuing to crack down on the state's nail salon industry exactly one year after the New York Times exposé revealed that many nail technicians were employed under implorable conditions, including working for as little as $4 an hour. The New York Daily News is reporting that Cuomo's Nail Salon Industry Enforcement Task Force has ordered 143 salons where employees were paid less than the state's minimum wage or illegally denied overtime to pay back mistreated staffers over the past year.

In total, that pay out adds up to $2 million going out to 653 people, which is roughly $3,000 per technician. With some employees previously making as little as $200 per week before tips, that sum is about equal to 15 weeks' worth of wages.

"A fair day's wage for a fair day's work is a principle that this state was built upon and this administration is committed to stopping employers who exploit workers and deny them what they are rightfully owed," the governor said.