Candle factory employees in Kentucky were allegedly threatened that they could lose their jobs if they were to leave their shifts early due to the nearing tornado in the area that has forced officials to sound sirens as warnings for residents.
As word of the coming storm continued to spread among employees, as many as 15 workers begged managers to allow them to go home and take shelter from the natural disaster. However, they said that their requests were simply denied.
Not Allowed To Go Home
When more and more people feared for their safety, some employees decided to leave their shifts early despite the possible repercussions. The Mayfield Consumer Products factory, which manufactures scented candles, reported at least eight people who have died.
The storm later hit the facility, leveling structures, leaving nothing but rubble, with photographs and videos showing the widespread devastation left by the storm. On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear reported that officials confirmed 74 people have died within the region, NBC News reported.
In an interview, Mayfield Consumer Products worker McKayla Emery, 21 years old, said that employees questioned whether they should go home or not. The staff member said that they heard with their own ears that they could be fired if they left their shifts early.
Another worker, Haley Conder, said that she heard managers tell the crew that they were not allowed to leave and that they should stay and continue their work. The employee said that the situation within the factory was bad and caused everyone inside to be uncomfortable.
Emery said that they heard a loud noise and the next thing they knew, they were stuck under a cement wall. The worker said they were unable to move and not strong enough to push anything, leaving them stuck under the rubble, the New York Post reported.
While some workers of Mayfield Consumer Products decided to leave despite the threats, the ones who chose to stay tried to take shelter in the bathrooms and inside hallways, bracing for the tornado. Even after the initial danger had passed, many workers continued to request the chance to go home and take shelter.
Denial of Allegations
The spokesperson for the company, Bob Ferguson, later denied the allegations of the employees in a statement, arguing that managers and team leaders had previously undergone a series of emergency drills. The exercises allegedly followed guidelines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FMEA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
"We've had a policy in place since COVID began. Employees can leave anytime they want to leave and they can come back the next day. Those protocols are in place and were followed," said Ferguson, The Hill reported.
The devastating storm also ravaged other areas and killed dozens of other people across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Illinois. Some employees were also left trapped in an Amazon warehouse when it collapsed, causing the death of six people.
Mark Saxton, a 37-year-old forklift operator, said that he believed workers should have been able to leave the premises. He said that the first warning about the storm caused managers to get employees to gather in the hallway. However, after the initial warning, staff were told to go back to work and did not offer them the option to go home.
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