Gallery: Respect Your Nail Technician: New Report Uncovers How Badly Many Techs Are Treated In The Workplace

The next time you walk into your favorite nail salon to get a mani/pedi, we hope this piece will come to mind. We say that because a couple of years ago, The New York Times did a piece on how a lot of nail technicians are treated—or rather, mistreated. Some work double shifts. Some are mistreated by their management. What’s really crazy is that some don’t even get paid for the work that they do (or, they get their tips taken away as “disciplinary action”).

In fact, “Among the more than 100 workers interviewed by The Times, only about a quarter said they were paid an amount that was the equivalent of New York State’s minimum hourly wage.” 

Pretty horrifying, right?

Whenever we are sitting in a chair getting pampered, a lot of us are probably not wondering if our tech is getting the respect, and pay, that they deserve. We are paying for a service, though. So, if you want to show the people who keep your nails looking fabulous a little appreciation, here are some things that you can–and should—do: