One of Maine’s newest workplace disputes over COVID-19 has nothing to do with much-publicized vaccine requirements.
A Cornish woman has sued her former employer, a chain of five hair salons in southern Maine, claiming the company retaliated against her after she voiced concerns about its COVID precautions.
In a complaint filed Nov. 22 with Portland federal court, Britni Murch accuses Acapello Salons Inc. of wrongfully withholding wages and forcing her to quit work as a stylist at Acapello’s flagship branch in Scarborough. The company acted in response to Murch’s criticism of its “unsafe and illegal practices related to covid protocol,” violating the Maine Whistleblower Protection Act, according to the complaint.
The complaint also claims Murch was entitled to a paid leave from work under the federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, signed into law at the start of the pandemic.
Murch has since found another job but is suing to recover lost pay and benefits, compensation for emotional distress and other damages. In an interview with Mainebiz, her attorney, Danielle Quinlan, wouldn’t speculate on how much the total would be.
Acapello answered the complaint last Thursday in a filing that denies each of Murch’s allegations. Trial may begin next June, according to a schedule released Monday.
And according to legal experts, more such cases are on the way — pitting employers against workers over changing, sometimes bewildering requirements for COVID safety.
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