Seven members of the plant management team at the Tyson Foods pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, have been terminated, following an investigation into allegations that they took bets on how many company workers would contract COVID-19.
“We value our people and expect everyone on the team, especially our leaders, to operate with integrity and care in everything we do,” stated Tyson Foods President & CEO Dean Banks. “The behaviors exhibited by these individuals do not represent the Tyson core values, which is why we took immediate and appropriate action to get to the truth. Now that the investigation has concluded, we are taking action based on the findings.”
In November, the company learned of the betting allegations, which were included in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Tyson Foods. Upon learning of the allegations, an undisclosed number of employees who allegedly took the bets were suspended without pay.
The company launched an investigation into the matter, in which Tyson Foods retained the law firm Covington & Burling LLP. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was chosen to lead the investigation.
Upon learning of the allegations, Banks and others immediately traveled to Waterloo last month and again on December 16 to meet with Waterloo plant team members and community leaders to reinforce Tyson’s commitment to them and the community, including through:
- Opening more communication channels to hear team member voices
- Creating a working group of local community leaders to strengthen collaboration
- Reinforcing the importance of Tyson Foods’ core values and team behaviors
“The commitment and passion that our team members exhibit every day is core to who we are at Tyson. We were very upset to learn of the behaviors found in the allegations, as we expect our leaders to treat all team members with the highest levels of respect and integrity,” Banks stated. “That’s why we have asked former Attorney General Eric Holder and his team to partner with Tyson to help us as we continue to look for ways to enhance a trusting and respectful workplace.”
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