Multiple Quapaw House Inc. employees, who have now been furloughed, say they did not receive paychecks from the company during March, after having received numerous emails from QHI officials stating they were "working on it."
The allegations, made by employees who contacted The Sentinel-Record over the past several weeks, began after QHI issued insufficient paychecks to some employees on Feb. 14.
Amanda Priest, director of communications for Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, said Wednesday that the attorney general's office received four complaints from QHI employees in 2020, and two in 2019, which were forwarded to the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.
Steve Guntharp, chief of staff of the Department of Labor, said Wednesday that the department can currently make no comment, other than there is an ongoing investigation regarding the complaints they received on QHI.
According to an email from QHI CFO Robert Wright that was sent on March 12 to all employees, QHI had "faced a number of catch-up items that we absolutely had to fund in order to keep the doors open and the lights on."
"We will let you know as soon as possible regarding the status of tomorrow's payroll," Wright said in the March 12 email. "The uncertainty and randomness of our revenue makes it difficult to project from one day to the next. Our number one goal is always to release payroll, and have it funded, on the scheduled pay date."
Wright's email also stated some employees received $300 gift cards to meet immediate needs when the payroll before last, on Feb. 14, was late and some checks were returned.
"That amount will be withheld from your next paycheck," he said.
An email sent on March 19 from then-QHI COO David Ivers to all employees said they would receive communication the following day from QHI CEO Casey Bright and the "new entity," Central Arkansas Behavioral Health and Recovery (Centers) LLC, on payroll and the "transition plan to keep operations going."
An email sent from Bright on March 20 to all employees said CABHRC is a for-profit Behavioral Health and Administrative Management Corp. located in Hot Springs and will provide administration and oversight for all QHI programs.
"Beginning today some staff will receive employment letters from CABHRC, LLC. to begin the transition meaning that as of Monday some staff will fall under QHI and others will work directly for CABHRC, LLC.," Bright said in the March 20 email. " ... Whether you are an employee of QHI or CABHRC, LLC. payroll will be processed by CABHRC, LLC."
Bright continued, "We understand the difficulties that you as staff have gone through and want to reassure you that payroll and benefits moving forward will no longer be an issue. ARC, LLC. is working with QHI to get back payroll paid and will make sure that payroll moving forward is no longer delayed."
According to the Arkansas secretary of state's website, the corporation "Central Arkansas Behavioral Health and Recovery Centers, LLC" was filed March 18, listing Bright as the incorporator/organizer.
The Sentinel-Record has had approximately eight QHI employees contact it since Feb. 17 with complaints of not being paid. Some declined to speak on the record.
According to a letter sent to all QHI employees from Bright on Feb. 21, "No employee is authorized to speak with the media or post on social media about QHI without approval from management. ... Both the Board of Directors and myself are working on a solution in regard to the issues with the payroll checks and will update you immediately once we have the answer."
The letter said it is QHI's policy that "any matters regarding media communication can only be approved by the CEO."
The Sentinel-Record has made multiple attempts to contact Bright for comment since Feb. 24.
One employee, Joanne Kelly, said Wednesday she was furloughed on Monday from her position in the billing department at QHI's Decision Point location in Bentonville. Kelly said she has received no paychecks for working the month of March.
"There's been several of us who wanted to reach out," Kelly said. "It's on-continuing, and we can't get any communication on when we will receive pay. ... All we get is 'It'll be soon,' or 'We're working on it.'"
She noted she contacted the Department of Labor and the attorney general's office in an attempt to resolve the issue.
"Monday evening, we got an email saying they had a meeting with the bank Tuesday morning to see what the options were and that we would know on that date, Tuesday, and we have yet to hear one," Kelly said. "We've reached out multiple times."
According to an email sent from Bright to all employees on Monday, "We are working through multiple avenues to address payroll including looking at the COVID-19 stimulus CARES Act. We have to work through the banks to get access to these grants and loans."
Kristina Harrison, who was also furloughed on Monday from her position in the medical records department at Decision Point, said Thursday that she has not received any paychecks during the month of March, either.
"He (Bright) sent out an email, and the way I read it is he is trying to access the coronavirus stimulus relief, and I'm thinking, this was an issue before (COVID-19) was an issue," Harrison said. "That's for legit people who are having problems with that, not for people who have ran their company into the ground."
She noted she worked at the facility eight months ago and was having an issue with not receiving her paycheck on time then, as well.
"Then I got laid off because they had to start trimming the fat, that way people could get paid," she said. "Bright would always come up with 'Sorry, for the delay, we're working on this' and the checks would come in a week late, but it wasn't like now when people are coming in and working a month for free. ... I started back Feb. 10, I got paid on (Feb.) 28, and then I never received a paycheck in March."
Harrison said she decided to come back to work for QHI despite having an issue with her paycheck because she "likes helping people" and had originally started working for the company eight years ago.
"I haven't contacted any state agencies because the labor board came and interviewed three employees (at Decision Point) and went to the Hot Springs unit, and nothing was done," she said. "It's like no one cares if we get paid."
Starla McCallister said Tuesday she was furloughed with "no prior notification" on Feb. 28, from her position as a supervisor at QHI's Sibley Hole location in Little Rock, and has still not received her last paycheck.
"The place closed down for really no reason. ... I still haven't gotten paid; no one has gotten paid," McCallister said. " ... I thought I'd file for unemployment, but this process of unemployment is a nightmare, too."
She noted she contacted the Department of Labor in an attempt to resolve the issue.
Corey Green, who was a CFP Counselor at Sibley Hole, said Wednesday his paycheck scheduled to be issued Feb. 14, was insufficient and his paycheck scheduled to be issued Feb. 28, was never issued.
"I had to go up to the Hot Springs location and they gave me a check directly from the Hot Springs location, so I really had to go out of my way in order to get paid," Green said. "(And) they only gave me one paycheck. The other one, that bounced, they said that on their end it went through, and they were telling me to get the bank to show that it bounced and it was just a lot."
He noted he was, at that time, not banking with the same bank he had when the allegedly insufficient check was deposited, so he did not contact them to prove the case to QHI.
Thomas Hathcock said Wednesday that he was unexpectedly fired on March 23 from his position as a CST at QHI's Inpatient Unit in Hot Springs, nine days after being hired, and never received a paycheck for the 109.5 hours he worked.
"I'm an ex-addict and I went through treatment there. ... I tried to go to work there because I was trying to give back, and it's like I was completely used by them," he said.
Hathcock said he was fired due to an issue with his background check, after allegedly being told the background check had cleared.
According to a letter sent to some QHI employees who were furloughed, dated March 30, their "final paycheck" would be mailed to them.
QHI has experienced financial challenges since deciding to "build up" its clinics and shift how it provides services and how it is reimbursed for those services, Bright said in a Feb. 17 email sent to employees after many received insufficient paychecks on Feb. 14.
Bright also said in the email that QHI would be reducing its workforce as well as closing and merging some of its clinics.
Local on 04/04/2020