Trulieve, a multi-state cannabis operator headquartered in Florida, recently terminated some of its employees in Gadsden County. This resulted in affected workers filing a collective lawsuit alleging that the company did not provide sufficient notice before their termination.
Trulieve, a Florida-based cannabis company, operates two cultivation sites in Quincy and a processing plant on Midway Island in Gadsden County. The company has not disclosed the number of employees who have been terminated but has stated that the move is aimed at reducing layoffs as the company continues to grow, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
According to Trulieve spokesperson Steve Vancore, affected employees have been offered alternative jobs at the company's other factories in Jefferson and Madison counties. Those employees who were ultimately not able to secure another position will receive severance pay.
Vancore informed Democratic lawmakers in Tallahassee that the layoffs ultimately stemmed from Trulieve's acquisition of Harvest Health and Recreation, which is based in Arizona.
We merged and acquired Harvest a year ago," Vancore told the news media. "This was part of our consolidation strategy as we continue to develop in areas of redundancy and inefficiency. When you have 9,000 employees, this is indeed a measure to improve efficiency.
Last week, employees affected by layoffs filed a class-action lawsuit against Trulieve, alleging that the company failed to provide the required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice regarding their termination.
According to Democrats in Tallahassee, the lawsuit alleges that if a company lays off "50 or more employees (excluding any part-time employees) at a single worksite within any 30-day period," it must provide a notice under the WARN Act.
According to a report by the Tampa Bay Times, the lawsuit was originally filed by attorney Tiffany Cruz on behalf of Langel O'Neil, who worked at Trulieve's Quincy facility. The plaintiff is seeking monetary compensation equivalent to the total amount of unpaid wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, accrued vacation pay, accrued sick pay, and other benefits within 60 days after termination. This has been reported in the media.
Trulieve has contested these allegations, according to Tallahassee attorney and partner at Stearns Weaver Miller, Glenn Burhans Jr., who told the news media that Trulieve "has complied with all state and federal laws regarding the reduction of force.
In possible scenarios, Trulieve offers affected employees new positions at the same location or other locations within the area," he told the Tampa Bay Times. "If relocation is not feasible or not accepted, employees will receive severance pay.
In another statement provided to the news media, Trulieve expressed its commitment to the northwest region of Florida and highlighted the construction of a 750,000-square-foot facility in Jefferson County by the company.
According to a statement released by the company to the Tampa Bay Times, Trulieve has approximately 9,000 employees in the United States and is currently hiring for "additional positions in various fields".
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