Elements Massage studio in Hadley abruptly closes after state order - GazetteNET

[massage]

HADLEY — Elements Massage studio in Hadley closed recently after it was issued a stop-work order by the state for operating without workers compensation insurance.


The state Department of Industrial Accidents ordered the studio at 379 Russell St. closed May 22.


Minimum fines are $100 per day, including weekends and holidays, beginning on the date the order was issued, according to information from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Fines accrue daily until insurance coverage starts and the fine is paid.


A company can reopen only when proof of coverage is confirmed by state regulators and all fines have been paid. A labor office spokesman said Elements did not respond to the stop-work order and was in default as of June 12.


Client Leonard Finkowski of South Hadley said he was surprised to find the business closed when he showed up for an appointment last week. The sign on the door said it was out of business.


He said he had a prepaid monthly membership and didn’t know how he would redeem it. There was no answer when he tried calling the business, he said.


“This leaves a lot of people in the lurch,” Finkowski said.


He said approximately half a dozen massage therapists worked there. He said he had spoken to one who told him she got a job at the Elements in East Longmeadow.


Elements is a nationwide chain with massage studios in 32 states and British Columbia, according to its website. The company lists 24 studios in Massachusetts.


The Hadley studio opened in 2015 in a small plaza in front of the Hampshire Mall. It is distinct from Elements Hot Tub Spa in Amherst, which is an independent business.


An email message seeking further information was left with the company Monday.


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