The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, where at least eight people were killed by a devastating tornado, has been closed. Pictures and videos of its widespread renmants is now a symbol of the destructive power of a tornado.
Supervisors Threatened Employees with Termination
On Friday, employees of a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky heard the sound of warning sirens and wanted to leave their place of work, which was later destroyed by a massive tornado. However, at least five employees claim that supervisors warned them that they would be left with no job if they left their shifts early, according to NBC News.
At one point, as many as 15 workers pleaded with managers to let them take shelter at their homes, only to be turned down, the workers said. Others walked out on their shifts scared for their safety, regardless of the consequences.
Mayfield Consumer Products, a candle-making factory, was the site of an eight-death tragedy earlier this month.
Rubble is all that is left of the building after it was demolished. There have been numerous images and videos taken of the devastation caused by Friday's massive tornado system.
A total of 74 people have been confirmed dead in Kentucky, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
Also Read: Study Shows How Global Warming Creates More Powerful Winter Tornadoes
Some Hours Before the Incident
When the tornado sirens sounded outside the factory around 5:30 p.m., McKayla Emery, 21, told a reporter from her hospital bed that workers were first asked to leave around that time.
A few hours before the real storm, workers gathered in bathrooms and hallways to wait out the storm, which was still several hours away. Several employees began asking to go home after determining that the immediate danger was no longer there.
Employees said they were told by supervisors and team leaders that if they left, they would likely lose their jobs.
Four workers who wanted to leave were told by managers that they were more than likely to be fired if they walked away, according to Emery.
Haley Conde, a 29-year-old employee at the facility, said that about 15 people requested to be sent home during the night shift after the first emergency alarm sounded outside.
In the three to four hours between the first and second emergency alarms, workers should have been allowed to go home, she said.
Conder argued that anyone who wanted to leave should have been able to.
In the back of the building, Elijah Johnson, a 20-year-old employee, was approached by a group of workers who wanted to leave the building and speak with their supervisors. He agreed to participate in the effort.
In order to find out who had gone home, Johnson said managers went to the extent of taking a roll call.
Officials Denied the Allegation
Officials in the company denied the accusations.
A spokesman for Mayfield Consumer Products named Bob Ferguson, said: "It's absolutely untrue. We've had a policy in place since Covid began. Employees can leave any time they want to leave and they can come back the next day."
When employees want to leave, they can do so whenever they want, and they can return the following day.
In addition, he denied that supervisors warned workers that leaving their shifts early would put their jobs in jeopardy.
As of Monday, there is a 24-hour hotline for employees to call in order to inquire about hazard pay and other issues, he said.
There was no threat to factory workers' jobs if they didn't show up Monday afternoon, according to Autumn Kirks, a team lead who was working that night.
Related Article: Two-Month-Old Infant Becomes Youngest Casualty in Catastrophic Tornado That Hit Kentucky
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