#260: Tens of thousands of Vietnamese immigrants rely on nail salons as an economic powerhouse: a an attractive option that lets them work hard and express their creativity, all without needing to learn English. But worker pay can sometimes dip below minimum wage, depending on individual manicurists' client lists.

This wouldn't be a legal problem if the manicurists were classified as "Gig Workers," and until recently that's exactly what most salons did. But advocates for salon workers – and even industry advisors representing employers – say that manicurists do not meet the criteriato be classified that way. Instead they should be hourly employees, and receive benefits like sick pay, vacation days, and at least a minimum wage.

LAist's Asian American Communities reporter Josie Huang shares her reporting with us at the salon near work. To learn more about her report, check out her article on LAist.com

#260: Tens of thousands of Vietnamese immigrants rely on nail salons as an economic powerhouse: a an attractive option that lets them work hard and express their creativity, all without needing to learn English. But worker pay can sometimes dip below minimum wage, depending on individual manicurists' client lists.
This wouldn't be a legal problem if the manicurists were classified as "Gig Workers," and until recently that's exactly what most salons did. But advocates for salon workers – and even industry advisors representing employers – say that manicurists do not meet the criteria to be classified that way. Instead they should be hourly employees, and receive benefits like sick pay, vacation days, and at least a minimum wage.
LAist's Asian American Communities reporter Josie Huang shares her reporting with us at the salon near work. To learn more about her report, <a href="https://laist.com/news/california-nail-salons-minimum-wage-ucla-healthy-collaborative">check out her article on LAist.com</a>

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.