I’m sure you can’t wait to hear the moving update, but after everything that happened this week, we might be in Nevada for a bit longer, which has nothing to do with OSHA.  But before I explain the OSHA portion, I should give you the update for B.  B was originally hired early November for ‘sales’ at a local (Wannabe) LED light company.  I say they are Wannabes because they somehow believe that they are one of the big-boys within their industry, like Philips or GE.  On their embellished business cards, they publish factual information about factories with whom they do other business because the Wannabes do not have anything close to a factory as they are existing only out of a 1000 square foot commercial business office with no operating technical equipment.  Interesting, isn’t that?  The owners have made it plainly evident that although they’re in America, they think they can treat their few employees like slaves yelling at and hovering over them as they run the small business like one of their home-country’s sweat-shops.

The facility is not even operating at a practical level because they are so cheap.  The wife explains it’s too expensive to run heat so the facility is always frigid which causes the employees to have to bundle-up and they also can’t turn-on lights because it’s also too expensive.  Do you know how challenging it is to wear gloves and use a keyboard or use a computer without light?   My husband told them he needs light and the wife provided a night-light for him to use the computer.  Yes, seriously.  B’s been grateful for the income, but this place is completely dysfunctional.  He also said that the husband looks the other way from his wife’s unethical treatment of employees because he’s focused on the technical side of their business and doesn’t want to deal with humans, although he did yell at his wife a few weeks ago (in their native language).  B said when they left the office a bit later he asked the intern what they were yelling about, to which the intern said that the husband told his wife, “Quit making everything so difficult for our employees!”

Male Black Widow

Let me introduce you to the black widow spider.  These not-so-little mature arachnids with bodies about the size of an average-grape are clearly well-fed and all over the office/storage areas where my husband works.  The wife’s critical thinking is severely lacking as her solution to get rid of these venomous spiders is to spray a bug-killer in the air, like when you spray an air-freshener (not directly on the spiders) will somehow eliminate the black widow problematic population for good.  I became very concerned obviously because from what B has told me, there are a surplus of harmless males running around spooking everyone, but logic says that where there are males, look a little higher in the building’s corners and there you will realize there are also lots of deadly females.

Female Black Widow

The Wannabes hired my husband and another individual for ‘sales,’ but they are essentially gophers.  This is the part where I finally explain OSHA’s involvement.   I’m not a fan of big government, but thank goodness that someone has determined that businesses must maintain a minimum level of standards for business operations and treatment of employees.  OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) says that employers must provide reasonable levels of safety and operating standards.  Black widows are problematic for OSHA.  Operating a cold office facility is problematic for OSHA and expecting employees to operate in the dark is also problematic for OSHA.  B filed a complaint on the website and explained in detail what ‘s going on.  A few days later, OSHA officials showed-up without warning at the Wannabes office.  OSHA asked for copies of licenses and permits and B said they must have taken hundreds of pictures of all the nonsense.  OSHA is returning next week to interview all employees.  The intern is leaving next weekend to visit his home-country and my husband’s last day will also be next week because God answered another prayer for another job for B and then OSHA is also visiting next week.  The owners may be shut-down next week also which was never the goal.  We’re all for small businesses as we’ve been both an employee and owners of a small business, but there are rules.  While the Wannabes were being so smug, they clearly needed to be reeled-in to be told to stop by officials to cease operating without humane standards.

Have you had a similar experience in a job?  Share your story.  What was your experience with a small businesses?  Do you think small businesses should be given a pass because they are small?

~Jenn