I just made a post about my now former workplace. The previous post was about some shady money issues I noticed. But that was not at all why I quit. I ended up leaving due to a mixture of workplace safety issues and just a general frustration with the business owner.
I have been working in a vintage furniture store in Philadelphia for almost the past two years. There’s a sales floor open to the public. We have the store laid out so that there are many vignettes you can walk through. It is sort of like the ikea showroom but all random vintage pieces we arranged like little rooms. It looks really good when it’s fully arranged, I love merchandising, it’s my work history prior to this job. I have been trained in the past to be cognizant of OSHA guidelines and to always be ADA compliant. This is also my first non corporate job.
I was good at merchandising. However, I majorly struggled with keeping a compliant pathway around the store and through the exits. There’s two ways into the store for customers and then an emergency exit. There were almost never paths around the store for shoppers. I tried to create designated aisles in a U shape looping through the doors, well as a path to the emergency exit. However, the owner saw that empty space as opportunity to bring more merchandise in. The store would become clogged very often.
I said many times, verbally and in text that this is a clear violation and we cannot be greedy about filling the store with merchandise. There has to be a cap. However, he literally did not care. We had a woman with a stroller make a comment to him once when he happened to have been in the store. She said something along the lines that he was lucky she had issues with a stroller and not a wheelchair. He made a rude remark back like “yeah wouldn’t that be something”. I was so embarrassed because I knew the store wasn’t okay to look the way it did.
We received merchandise twice a week during open operating hours. It was usually an entire box truck full of large furniture. This would majorly block the store from anyone safely shopping. We were not permitted to temporarily close so we can move pieces in such a way that customers can safely shop. I also brought up receiving the truck during closed hours, but I was told that’s too much of a payroll waste and the staff during the open hours would have nothing to do.
The blocked pathways did not stop at the sales floor of the building. Our emergency exit was constantly blocked off with merchandise and trash leaning against the door. The door was also latched shut even when the business was open, which I know also should be unlocked at that time. We have a second level to the building as well. It was employees only and a workshop for repairs. The stairs were always blocked off. You have to move things and climb around to get to them. There was also no railing.
We also sell ceiling light fixtures. To have them on display in the store, we would cut extension cords and wire the lamps’ cut cords onto them. There was a FENCE changed to the ceiling and we would chain the lamps around the fence. These cords were then plugged into a power strip that we would turn on. It was also expected of us to take these lamps down if they were to sell. The ceilings were so high that you have to go so high on the rung that you can’t hold the ladder with your hands anymore. I just lied and told customers the lamps weren’t for sale because I refused to take them down.
There’s also a second area of ceiling lights wired the same way and plugged into outlets on the second floor through holes drilled into the ceiling.
In addition to that power strip, there are countless other extension cords and power strips on the sales floor. Many are daisy chained together. Which I know can catch fire. We also leave the ceiling lights on overnight.
The outlets in the break area stopped working and the owner connected a power strip from the sales floor to keep the fridge and microwave one. The power strip is literally sitting in the sink.
I have photos of all these violations. As well as photos of what I was able to fix myself and the mess that builds right back up after. I contacted OSHA with my complaints and I got a call that they will inspect. I also tripped on a dolly once and I think I broke my toe, it’s been about six months and it still hurts, but I know it’s too late for file anything for that.
I’m really afraid of getting a threatening message from the owner but none of that is right or safe to work in. It was a losing battle and I had to quit.