- United Home furniture Industries founder David Belford has remained silent and unreachable because firing 2,700 staff members last 7 days.
- Belford allegedly shut down a program to file for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy times before the layoffs, the New York Write-up described.
- Staffers were being terminated in late-night email messages and texts despatched right prior to Thanksgiving.
Just days soon after United Home furniture Industries laid off 2,700 personnel devoid of severance or gains, the owner of the business has reportedly disappeared.
David Belford — a rich Ohio businessman who also owns providers such as Solstice Sleep Items and Stage Money — has not spoken publicly and has been unreachable given that the layoffs, and some speculate he may perhaps have remaining the nation, in accordance to resources talking to the New York Article.
His silence comes as staffers look for authorized motion versus the Mississippi-primarily based organization soon after they ended up notified of terminations by way of texts and e-mails just two times before Thanksgiving. In the messages, sent just before midnight, UFI stated it was laying off “all workforce” because of to “unforeseen small business circumstances.”
In a subsequent electronic mail, the staffers — who labored at UFI amenities in California, Mississippi, and North Carolina — were being notified that “all gains will be terminated quickly with no provision of COBRA,” leaving them without well being coverage.
Previous employee Toria Neal submitted a class-action lawsuit from UFI past week, boasting the household furniture firm violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act by failing to provide the required 60 days composed detect of a potential closure.
Philip Hearn, an attorney doing the job on behalf of fired staff in Mississippi, advised the Publish that Belford is rumored to have fled to Paris and allegedly shut down a approach to file for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy safety two days before the layoffs.
“Belford mentioned, ‘We are not going forward with a Chapter 11,'” Hearn advised the New York Publish. “It sounds like the administration team came up with a plan to preserve the company and Belford reported, ‘That’s a wrap — not performing it.'”
Belford — as properly as UFI’s Director of Merchandising and Promoting Greg Morgan and Human Methods Director Helen Benefield — did not immediately respond to Insider’s ask for to remark.
Related Post
- United Home furniture Industries founder David Belford has remained silent and unreachable because firing 2,700 staff members last 7 days.
- Belford allegedly shut down a program to file for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy times before the layoffs, the New York Write-up described.
- Staffers were being terminated in late-night email messages and texts despatched right prior to Thanksgiving.
Just days soon after United Home furniture Industries laid off 2,700 personnel devoid of severance or gains, the owner of the business has reportedly disappeared.
David Belford — a rich Ohio businessman who also owns providers such as Solstice Sleep Items and Stage Money — has not spoken publicly and has been unreachable given that the layoffs, and some speculate he may perhaps have remaining the nation, in accordance to resources talking to the New York Article.
His silence comes as staffers look for authorized motion versus the Mississippi-primarily based organization soon after they ended up notified of terminations by way of texts and e-mails just two times before Thanksgiving. In the messages, sent just before midnight, UFI stated it was laying off “all workforce” because of to “unforeseen small business circumstances.”
In a subsequent electronic mail, the staffers — who labored at UFI amenities in California, Mississippi, and North Carolina — were being notified that “all gains will be terminated quickly with no provision of COBRA,” leaving them without well being coverage.
Previous employee Toria Neal submitted a class-action lawsuit from UFI past week, boasting the household furniture firm violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act by failing to provide the required 60 days composed detect of a potential closure.
Philip Hearn, an attorney doing the job on behalf of fired staff in Mississippi, advised the Publish that Belford is rumored to have fled to Paris and allegedly shut down a approach to file for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy safety two days before the layoffs.
“Belford mentioned, ‘We are not going forward with a Chapter 11,'” Hearn advised the New York Publish. “It sounds like the administration team came up with a plan to preserve the company and Belford reported, ‘That’s a wrap — not performing it.'”
Belford — as properly as UFI’s Director of Merchandising and Promoting Greg Morgan and Human Methods Director Helen Benefield — did not immediately respond to Insider’s ask for to remark.
