Bubbles Salons: Give employees a 30 day notice before being fired

My name is Blanca de Leon. I started working at the Bubbles Salon located at 205 Pennsylvania Ave NW on March 9th, 2009 and worked there for 6 and a half years. I’m a stylist specializing in cuts and colors, as well as all areas relating to beauty. When I first started working at Bubbles, there were things about the company that I didn’t agree with but I stayed when I started to get to know the clients who are the best clients I’ve had in my whole career.

One of the main issues was the way the management at Bubbles treated the staff, some better than others. Every time the Latino workers asked for something, they wouldn't listen to us. They even told us that we weren’t allowed to speak Spanish. There was also discrimination in who got the best appointments. Everyone except for the Latinos were given new clients, but they only gave us new clients when there were extra.

But the hardest thing for me was that even though another non-Latino employee was allowed to use a mat under her styling chair, I was told that I wasn’t allowed to have one. I need the mat to help alleviate my back pain because I am on my feet all day. I told my managers about my back condition and the medication that I take to help it. I also asked them for something in writing about why I wasn’t allowed to have the mat even though another employee was, but they never gave me anything.

On August 26th, I went to work and my managers called me in for a meeting. When I got there they said “We have bad news for you.” They told me that I hadn’t listened to my manager when I was told to remove the mat I used for back pain. Then they told me that I was fired.

I asked if I could have 30 days so that I could look for a new job, but they refused. I wasn’t even allowed to finish the day with the rest of the clients I had scheduled. They only gave me half an hour to pick up my things and go.

I filed a claim at the DC Office of Human Rights because I believe my employer discriminated against me. In six and a half years, I never had a single client complaint against me. I was a good coworker to everyone and I believe my termination was unjust. Being fired affected my life a lot. I am a single mother and I need to work to support my family. I suffered significant emotional distress after being so suddenly and unjustly fired. They must think that you don’t eat, that you don’t pay rent.

Ratner Companies, which owns Bubbles Salons, owns over 1,000 salons in 16 states. I’m speaking out so that others won't have to go through what I did. Please demand that Bubbles establish a policy that requires that employees be given 30 days notice before being fired so that they can look for another job.