SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Several employees who worked for the Utah-based meat subscription service Just Meats say they haven’t been paid — in some cases for thousands of dollars of work — since they were furloughed in November.
For some, the missing wages have led to a cascade of financial hardships.
“There are people who have struggled to make rent,” said Greg Foster, who worked as a senior copywriter on the creative team at Just Meats. “There are people who have had their accounts overdrafted.”
Foster said he’s currently owed around three weeks of backpay — more than $5,500, according to a copy of the wage complaint he filed with the Utah Labor Commission.
Without that money, “it was definitely a struggle to put gifts under the tree and have a good Christmas,” he said in a recent interview.
“I’ve had to put bills on a credit card,” he added. “You know, you can’t go to the bank if you have a mortgage and give them your furlough notice and all of a sudden everyone gives you a thumbs up and say it’s OK.”
It’s not clear how many people who worked at Just Meats haven’t received their final paychecks. But in an email one former employee shared with FOX 13 News, the company’s human resources director noted in late December that “there are many employees in a situation similar to yours.” While customer service employees were last compensated in mid-November, she said that “nobody else in the company has been paid since the 11/1 paycheck.”
The Utah Labor Commission said it had received six wage claims against Just Meats from November to early February.
Foster and other employees said they decided to speak out publicly after FOX 13 News reported recently on dozens of influencers who complained that Just Meats hadn’t paid them for promoting the business online – and as creditors pursue the company and its owner in court for millions of dollars in allegedly unpaid debts.
“It’s employees, it’s vendors, it’s staffing agencies; it’s a laundry list of people who have been stiffed,” Foster said. “I don’t know the total number of debt. I don’t know those numbers. But I do know they’re significant.”
A FOX 13 Investigates review of court documents shows the total adds up to around $6.3 million in allegedly unpaid debts – a number that doesn’t include the wages influencers and former employees say they’re owed.
Just Meats’ owner, Jody Rookstool, did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story, including to questions about whether there were plans to pay employees and when. An attorney who previously represented Just Meats in court also did not respond to inquiries.
In a prior statement to FOX 13 News in early December, Just Meats said it was doing “everything in its power to pay what is owed to its influencers and important vendors.”
“Unfortunately, the company has temporarily ceased operations due to financial hardship,” the statement continued. “We are working to secure additional funding that will allow us to reopen, satisfy our obligations, and continue providing our coveted meat products to our loyal customer base.”
'A HARD DAY'S WORK'
When he started as a customer experience specialist at Just Meats last February, Zachary Nay said the job appealed to him primarily because of the quick commute.
The pay was decent, and he liked his direct supervisor. But by summer, he said, the cracks were beginning to show.
In August, Nay found out his employer-sponsored insurance plan had been terminated – right as he was scheduled to go in for an expensive, twice-yearly infusion to treat his multiple sclerosis.
The lapse in coverage delayed his injection for about a month, he said, which worsened his symptoms of brain fog, slurred speech and lower back and leg pain.
"The longer I go without the infusion, that stuff gets harder,” he said.
Employee insurance benefits were ultimately reactivated in late September, according to emails Nay shared with FOX 13 News. Just Meats’ human resources director noted at that time that any medical expenses or claims that were denied due to the lack of coverage could be “resubmitted to the insurance company.”
For Nay, the final blow came a few weeks after that, when Just Meats informed him and other employees the week of Thanksgiving that they were being furloughed until December. A few weeks later, the company told employees the furlough would be in effect indefinitely.
In the meantime, Nay said he’s among those who still hasn’t received his final paycheck – around $2,500 for about 96 hours he worked but wasn’t paid for.
Those unpaid wages have put him behind on rent and made it difficult to afford basic needs for his family, he said. After months of economic and emotional stress, he said it would be a “breath of fresh air” to have that money in the bank.
“It would help me to pay off the rest of the balance that I still owe with my property management company for my rent,” Nay said. “It would help me restock up on my food and groceries and be able to actually purchase groceries right now because essentially, I’ve just been using local food shelters to help.”
As he continues to deal with the financial fallout, Nay said he was even more frustrated to learn that Rookstool has a line of creditors pursuing him and his other now-shuttered business ventures – a fast casual restaurant chain called FEASTbox and a meal subscription service called QuickFresh.
Altogether, the businesses have faced more than a dozen lawsuits in Utah, including several related to broken lease agreements and short-term loans that were allegedly never returned.
"That information was never given to any of us,” Nay said, adding that he felt the company hadn’t been transparent with employees about its financial situation.
In addition to the court cases in Utah, the FOX 13 Investigates team found that Rookstool has also faced claims of unpaid debts in Florida, Illinois, New York and Tennessee.
One of the lawsuits, filed in a Chicago court by US Foods, claims Just Meats never paid for around $1.2 million worth of products it received. Just Meats has not yet responded to those allegations.
In the lawsuit filed in Tennessee, the CrossFit athlete and fitness influencer Rich Froning contends that he was never paid for several months of work promoting Just Meats online. His lawsuit seeks a judgment of nearly $92,000 for “breach of contract” and around $288,000 for the company’s alleged “unjust enrichment.” Just Meats denied those claims in court filings.
As the cases against Rookstool’s businesses move through the courts, Nay and Foster are working on their own efforts to recoup the money they’re owed. They’ve both filed wage claims with the state of Utah, which requires employees to be paid within 24 hours or their next regular payday, depending on the circumstances of the separation.
Both former employees both said they hope to receive the money soon, so they can settle their own debts and put their time at Just Meats behind them.
“I understand, like, if the business fails,” Foster said. “Happens. This is America. This is capitalism. But I’m under the impression that you get paid for a hard day’s work. And that’s what I would like to see.”