DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Hearthside Food Solutions, one of the largest contract food manufacturers in the US, has responded to a New York Times article alleging the commercial baking company employs underage workers and engages in unsafe working conditions in one of its plants.
“We are appalled by the New York Times article alleging that the industry is employing underage individuals in unsafe conditions, and further suggesting some of these issues may be taking place at one of our locations,” said Darlene Nicosia, Hearthside’s CEO, in a statement on the company’s website. “Our hearts break for the young people whose stories are documented in the article.”
“We take the allegations in the article seriously,” Nicosia added, and shared four immediate next steps:
- Conduct a thorough review of Hearthside’s comprehensive employment practices, plant safety protocols and standards of business conduct. A global advisory firm and independent law firm will conduct the review and offer recommendations within the next 60 days.
- Establish an enhanced process to confirm all employees meet Hearthside’s workforce requirements, including the minimum age of 18 policy, and are in compliance with government regulations at every level. The enhanced process includes requiring everyone entering the bakery’s facilities to confirm their identity with a government-issued ID that matches their facility badge.
- Encourage employees to report workplace safety issues to the bakery’s confidential ethics and compliance hotline.
Review existing staffing agency policies and agreements to determine whether any changes need to be implemented. Hearthside is also asking its staffing partners to submit written certification that they consistently comply with Hearthside’s contracts and government regulations at all levels, perform an internal I-9 audit on a 25% random sample size of current Hearthside employees and provide a copy of their latest third-party audit. It is also making E-Verify an immediate requirement for any Hearthside staffing agencies that do not currently use this verification process.
The bakery strongly disputed the safety allegations, saying it is proud of its safety-first culture. In 2021, Hearthside was one of 20 member companies to receive the American Bakers Association’s Safety Recognition Program award for dedication to workplace safety, with 15 of its facilities achieving a high level of safety performance as an ongoing effort to reduce work related injuries and illnesses.
