Peabody Companies Hit With Coronavirus Safety Complaints

PEABODY, MA — Nine Peabody businesses have been the target of 20 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 nine weeks since the online complaint form was launched.

In Peabody, Boston Barkery, Luxebar and Ulta Beauty have been hit with multiple complaints. The complaints range from cleaning issues to failing to provide personal protective equipment.

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 writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).