Dollar General will pay $12 million and improve security at its 20,000 stores nationwide to settle complaints that it endangered workers with practices such as blocking fire exits, the Labor Department said.
The discount retailer will have to significantly reduce its inventory and improve storage to avoid dangerous stockpiling that obstructs exits and makes electrical panels and fire extinguishers inaccessible, the federal agency said last week.
“This agreement commits Dollar General to making worker safety a priority by implementing significant and systematic changes to its operations,” said Douglas Parker, assistant secretary for occupational safety and health. “These changes help provide peace of mind to thousands of workers.”
Dollar General faces fines of up to $100,000 per day, up to $500,000 if such problems are detected in the future and not fixed within 48 hours, according to the settlement.
The agreement covers all 20,000 Dollar General stores in the United States, except its pOpshelf stores, the Labor Department said.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with OSHA to resolve these issues. We remain committed to ensuring a safe work environment for our employees and a pleasant shopping experience for our customers,” a Dollar General spokesperson said in an email.
Headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Dollar General operates the nation’s largest dollar store chain and employs more than 170,000 people.
The $12 million fine is not the first for the company, which has been assessed more than $15 million in penalties since 2017. Last year, Dollar General became the first employer to be listed by OSHA as a “serious violator” for repeatedly violating workplace regulations.
The chain’s stores have also been scenes of robberies and armed violence.
Nearly 50 people died and 172 were injured at Dollar General stores between 2014 and 2023, according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archives. In September, Dollar General announced it was donating $2.5 million after a shooting killed three people at one of its stores in Jacksonville, Florida. including a 19-year-old employee.
