Bed Bath & Beyond class action claims retailer failed to give notice before layoffs

Bed Bath & Beyond layoffs class action overview: 

• Who: A former Bed Bath & Beyond manager is suing the retail company.
• Why: The plaintiff alleges the company failed to treat workers fairly when executing its planned closure of 400 stores nationwide.
• Where: The Bed Bath & Beyond layoffs class action was filed in a New Jersey federal court.
• What are my options: Try Brookstone for alternatives to Bed Bath & Beyond.

A former Bed Bath & Beyond manager is suing the retail company, alleging it failed to treat workers fairly during layoffs when executing its planned closure of 400 stores nationwide, including all Harmon Face Values stores.

Plaintiff Michael Palmeri filed the class action lawsuit against Harmon Stores Inc. and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. on March 24 in a New Jersey federal court, alleging violations of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and the New Jersey WARN Act. 

According to the lawsuit, when the pair closed 400 stores nationwide, they failed to pay their employees their wages, salary, commission, bonuses, benefits, accrued holiday pay and accrued vacation owed following terminations.

This amounts to willful misconduct, the lawsuit states.

Employees did not get adequate notice, lawsuit states

According to the lawsuit, Palmeri was laid off March 2 after working for the defendants for eight years. The companies reduced the total workforce by at least 33% this year. 

The lawsuit alleges both defendants are liable for the misconduct. 

Harmon Stores Inc. operated about 50 Harmon Face Values cosmetics and personal care supply stores until Bed Bath & Beyond announced in January that they would all close. 

“Upon information and belief, defendants are a single integrated enterprise and/or joint employer in that they share a common business purpose and ownership, maintain common control, oversight and direction over the opera”ons of the work performed by plain”ffs, including payroll, hiring, and firing practices,” the complaint states.

Palmeri is looking to represent all employees who lost their jobs in recent store closings and allegedly did not receive the legally mandated 60 days’ written notice.

He seeks certification of the class action, plus 60 days worth of pay, retirement and health insurance contributions, a week of severance pay for each year of employment, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Meanwhile, Bed, Bath & Beyond is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it unlawfully intercepted consumers’ online communications through the use of “session replay” spyware that allowed it to watch and record visitors to its website. 

What do you think of the allegations against Bed, Bath & Beyond? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Lloyd R. Ambinder and LaDonna M. Lusher of Virginia & Ambinder LLP, and Mahir Nisar, Susan Ghim and Casey Wolnowski of Nisar Law Group PC.

The Bed Bath & Beyond class action lawsuit is Michael Palmeri, et al. v. Harmon Stores Inc., et al., Case No. 2:23-cv-01682, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

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