Former employees from the
On Friday some of them protested outside the home, which abruptly closed earlier this week. Some of those people say they're due one paycheck. Others say they haven't been paid in six weeks.
“We are very upset because we worked for a month and we're not getting any of our money,” said former employee April Frantz.
Frantz says none of the former employees knew YFN was going to close. The home served mentally disabled residents. Those residents were moved to other facilities.
“We just want the people out there to know that YFN is not who they are,” said Frantz.
YFN has struggled recently. Earlier this year, its former CEO, Ernest Beal, was convicted of embezzling clients' money. Then, the state stripped YFN's Medicaid certification. Following that, former employees say, YFN started losing money. Because of that, they say the state should cover for their lost pay.
But a state social services official says not paying employees is a company—not a state—issue.
Workers can claim lost wages through the Indiana Department of Labor. Marc Lotter, DOL spokesman, confirmed a handful of former YFN employees are doing that.
Lotter says it usually takes a few months to process a claim, and that about 90 percent of claims filed are successful.
Lotter would not comment specifically on what the state is doing to resolve the problem between YFN and its former employees.
FOX Fort Wayne tried several times Friday to contact YFN’s CEO, Justin Beal, but he did not respond to any messages.
State officials say anyone trying to claim lost wages from an employer should do so through the Indiana Department of Labor (http://www.in.gov/dol/wagehour.htm).
