University student Yooki Lee decided to take a job with Turnip Home, selling security systems door-to-door across Alberta in 2021.
About two years later, he left the company. Lee said he still needs to be paid a large chunk of his wages, totalling $7,733.
“So I think it was about 75 per cent of our wages, was held, and we called it the backend,” explained Lee.
Melanie Morales, another former employee, said she’s owed $22,444 and was expecting that cash in November of last year.
“After a while, they stopped responding to our messages,” said Morales.
“I got blocked on the phone by them.”
The pair said the situation has been hard, both financially and mentally.
“Bills start adding up. Stress. You have school, so you have school assignments. You have the whole pressure of the situation as well,” noted Morales.
Morales and Lee filed complaints with Alberta Employment Standards.
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An order was issued on Aug. 31 for Lee and Sept. 1 for Morales. It states the Employment Standards officer found Turnip Home owes money in both cases.
The company has 21 days from the order to pay or appeal.
Global News reached out to Turnip Home and was referred to its legal counsel.
The company’s lawyer said it can’t comment on matters which may be pending before a regulatory board, but notes it takes the allegations extremely seriously and is reviewing them.
“Turnip Homes is confident and committed to seeking and receiving the appropriate and just remedies in the face of these and any other allegations,” said part of an email statement from Sangha Law.
The Employment Standards decisions indicate that it was not able to serve Turnip Home with the complaints, and it is not clear that Turnip Home provided Employment Standards with a response to the allegations.
Morales and Lee said they’re hoping not only for money, but also to send a message.
“It’s important for Edmonton businesses to be held accountable. For something like this to happen and for everyone to brush it off is not okay,” Morales said.
“We can’t let Edmonton businesses and people who have businesses that are recruiting these university kids get taken advantage of,” Lee said.
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