Spa Employee Fed Up With Unfixed Leak Does the Heroic Thing: 'Didn't Want To Wait'
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A spa esthetician from Central Florida has been applauded for reporting her employer to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after they failed to fix a leak.
The 21-year-old employee and original poster (OP), user Successful-Grass-135, took to Reddit to explain her decision, noting that their building "isn't in the best shape".
"Our building had an issue, can't remember if it was the roof or the AC unit, but water was leaking into the ceiling and causing water damage," the OP wrote.
"We had to remove and replace several ceiling tiles before."
Recently, another ceiling tile had fallen off, and water was "pouring" from the hole.
However, their employer's response left the OP and her coworkers stunned.
Stock image of a clipboard holding an OSHA report.
Stock image of a clipboard holding an OSHA report.
Photo by designer491 / Getty Images
"They put a garbage bin underneath the 'leak' and called it a day," the OP recounted. "We started calling it our 'tranquility waterfall' as a joke.
"Imagine taking your client back for what's supposed to be a relaxing service, and you first have to pass the obnoxiously loud cascade of water flowing into an industrial-sized garbage can."
Management reportedly dismissed concerns, even as water damage crept into massage rooms.
"Some therapists were worried a ceiling tile might fall on them or a client during a service," the OP noted, adding that the entire building smelled like mildew because water had already seeped into the carpet.
'We had to shut down'
Concerned for her coworkers' safety and that of their clients, the OP filed a complaint on OSHA's website, expecting it would take up to 30 days.
"A few days later... I overheard my managers in the office talking about OSHA," she wrote. "We had to shut down for a few days, everything got fixed, thankfully."
Following the inspection, mold inspectors were brought in, and one massage room was fully gutted and renovated.
No Regrets
"No one was complaining afterwards since the room was much nicer than it was before," she added.
Though she never revealed to coworkers that it was her complaint, the OP stood by her actions.
"I tell myself that if I hadn't done it, eventually someone else would've. Better sooner than later."
Reddit Reacts
More than 100 Reddit users took to the comments to applaud the OP, with one writing, "Never be ashamed to aim sunshine at the dark."
"Girl, you're literally a hero!" another added. "That could've seriously hurt someone. Don't feel bad about doing the right thing."
Some users, however, urged some caution.
"I agree you did the right thing," one Redditor wrote. "I still wouldn't tell people at work because management seemed fine with the situation as it was, and may retaliate because of the work and money they had to put in to remedy a disgusting work environment.
"This is why OSHA allows anonymous complaints."
'My managers would probably be a little annoyed'
In a message to Newsweek, the OP noted that she is "pretty well liked by my managers and coworkers, so I don't think they'd ever go so far as to fire me for it, but my managers would probably be a little annoyed if they knew it was me."
"Reddit was helpful, and people have been very nice and supportive about it, which makes me feel better about what I did," she added.
Workplace Woes
Employees who take steps to ensure their employers are being treated correctly are often backed online.
In one incident reported by Newsweek, a Gen Z employee was applauded for refusing to work on her day off after half her team was laid off, even though her boss questioned her "reliability" and said she wasn't a team player.
Patrice Williams-Lindo, a workplace futurist and work expert, told the publication, "Let's be clear: 'team player' is one of the most weaponized phrases in the modern workplace."
In another example covered by Newsweek, a worker contacted HR after her new boss reported her for taking what she believed was too much paid time off.
Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
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