Portland Tanning Bed Franchise Handed a Huge Fine After Investigators Discover Over 1,300 Labor Violations

Tan Republic must pay over $200,000 for violations of meal and rest period requirements.

A local franchise that operates local Tan Republic salons is being charged a massive fine of $200,000 for over 1,300 labor violations.

After receiving multiple employee complaints, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries launched an investigation into two Tan Republic stores, one in Gladstone and one on West Burnside Street in Portland.

Today, BOLI announced findings that the stores failed to provide employees meal and rest periods as required by law.

In October 2016, BOLI investigators found that the Tan Republic stores failed to provide 365 meal breaks to 40 employees and 941 rest breaks to 44 employees. In Oregon, employers are required by law to give anyone working shifts of six hours or more a 30-minute unpaid meal break, and multiple, paid 10-minute breaks for anyone working eight-hour shifts or longer.

In addition to break violations, the shops also neglected to provide written notices of unused and accrued sick stick time to employees—violating Oregon's sick time law and a compliance agreement signed by the company.

Lionness Holdings LLC, the now-defunct operator of the stores, will be fined $150 per each violation.

Lioness Holdings is also under BOLI scrutiny for ceasing operations without paying wages to employees.

"Previous BOLI wage and hour investigations have helped Tan Republic employees secure unpaid wages," BOLI's statement reads. "In addition, BOLI tapped its Wage Security Fund this year to assist Tan Republic workers after Lioness Holdings LLC, doing business as Tan Republic, ceased operations without satisfying its wage obligations."

When asked about the violations, Stephan Wurzburg, chief information officer for the Tan Republic franchise, said it was the first he'd heard of an investigation.

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention," Wurzburg wrote in an email to WW, "as all Tan Republic's are independently owned and operated, we as the Franchise were not currently aware of any Franchisee under investigation but take this matter seriously and will be looking into it on our end."

This isn't the first time a local Tan Republic franchise has been accused of breaking the rules.

In 2013, WW reported on an investigation of the Tan Republic on West Burnside Street which found that the store wasn't properly training its operators and putting clients at risk. As well, a 2014 investigation found that a Tan Republic in Oregon City illegally allowed minors to tan without a doctor's note. Collective fines for those violations totaled over $11,000.

BOLI is encouraging any employees with further wage and/or hour claims to file a complaint. 

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