Waltham Businesses Hit With Coronavirus Safety Complaints

WALTHAM, MA — More than a dozen Waltham businesses have been the target of 31 complaints filed with the Massachusetts Attorney General's office for failing to protect workers and customers from the coronavirus.

The office began accepting complaints from an online portal on May 20. Statewide, more than 1,300 complaints have been filed in the two months since the online complaint form was launched.

In Waltham, TG Gallagher has been targeted in 10 complaints, though many of them came in at the exact same time, so it's possible some are duplicates. Most of those complaints centered on a lack of personal protective equipment, but also ranged from requiring people who have tested positive to work, not observing proper social distancing and having too many people. The public library has been the subject of six complaints, ranging from concern about disinfecting to not making accommodations for employees with concern to work remotely.

You can view all the complaints filed through July 20 on this spreadsheet.

In most instances, the AG’s Office doesn’t have enforcement authority on health and safety issues. OSHA, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards and, in some cases, local authorities, are charged with enforcement.

But the AG’s Fair Labor Division has been responding to complaints by letting consumers and workers know their rights, reaching out to employers targeted in complaints and making referrals to other local, state and federal agencies.

Safety concerns can be reported by using the online portal or by calling AG’s Fair Labor Hotline at 617-727-3465.

Dave Copeland contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Waltham Patch