Wisconsin Says Former Fleming Employees at Closed Marshfield Facility Owed $556,000

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman this week announced that DWD has determined 140 former Fleming Companies Inc. employees should be paid a total of $556,088 by the company for violating the state’s Business Closing Law.

The announcement is the result of an internal review conducted by the department’s Equal Rights Division after employees filed complaints alleging the employer failed to provide 60 days advance notice of the closing of its Marshfield Distribution Center.

“This employer failed to provide employees with the required 60 days advance notice that the business would close,” said Gassman. “Wisconsin law clearly indicates that employees are due advance notice. The wages and benefits due to these employees will alleviate some of the hardships these employees faced as a result of receiving inadequate notice of losing their jobs.”

DWD ruled that the company owes each affected employee an amount which reflects the increased wages and benefits due because the emloyees did not receive a full 60-day notice that they would be losing their jobs. DWD will refer the case to the Wisconsin Department of Justice to be filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the sums owed to the employees.

The DWD provides training and employment assistance to people looking for work; works with employers to fill job openings; helps the disabled secure employment; links youth with jobs; protects and enforces worker’s rights; administers Wisconsin’s apprenticeship program; pays unemployment insurance claims; and, administers workers’ compensation.