HelloFresh Newark workers allege abuse and bathroom denials in lawsuit
Temporary workers at a HelloFresh facility in Newark, New Jersey, alleged in court documents that they were verbally and physically abused and denied regular bathroom breaks. The claims are contained in a proposed amended complaint in a class-action lawsuit, a case brought on behalf of a group of workers, first filed in August 2024 against HelloFresh and staffing agencies The Guardian.
The complaint alleges that Hispanic workers were assigned the hardest work and were berated for speaking Spanish rather than English. It further alleges that HelloFresh sexually harassed Hispanic female employees and discriminated against a primarily Hispanic temporary workforce in violation of New Jersey anti-discrimination laws.
Bathroom access is central to the allegations. The complaint alleges that Hispanic workers were required to use a sign-out system to use the bathroom and had their time policed by management. It alleges that a manager menaced workers with a baseball bat to limit bathroom time and force them back to the production line, and that the policy was so restrictive that several workers urinated on themselves after being denied permission.
One plaintiff, Luis Penafiel, worked as a temporary worker at the Newark distribution center from November 2021 to August 2023. A former worker told the Guardian he experienced incontinence after having to hold urine for hours at work.
The lawsuit also alleges that HelloFresh and temporary-staff managers took ID badges from temporary workers that were required to leave the facility. It alleges that managers repeatedly threatened to call ICE and immigration authorities on workers.
A New Jersey state court judge is scheduled to review the amended complaint at a hearing on 23 October. A HelloFresh spokesperson denied all allegations in the lawsuit. HelloFresh filed a motion to dismiss, a formal request for a judge to end the case, in April 2025 denying the allegations. Action Staffing, On Target Staffing and ProStaff Workforce Solutions have moved to dismiss the lawsuit.
In a separate matter, HelloFresh agreed to pay $7.5 million to resolve a consumer protection lawsuit over deceptive subscription practices, according to Los Angeles County officials Los Angeles County. That resolution included $6.38 million in civil penalties divided among prosecuting agencies and $120,000 in investigative costs Los Angeles County District Attorney.
