Staff at a Doncaster-based bakery left in the dark about shop closures and lack of pay
Staff at a Doncaster-based bakery have been left in the dark after a number of its shops were suddenly closed down, with some people claiming to have not been paid.
As the Free Press reported earlier this week, employees at Cooplands were left stunned after turning up for work to find the shutters down, and no information about it from their boss.
Branches of the popular bakery remain closed today with Cantley, Armthorpe, East Laith Gate and Skellow among those affected. We understand the only branch that remains open is in Frenchgate.
Just down the road, Worksop’s Cooplands had a sign posted on the shop window refusing entry to the owners and staff due to, what appears to be, non-payment of rent.
We have spoken to a number of members of staff who are extremely upset and angry about the way they have been treated.
One disgruntled member of staff, Ben W Panks-Brown, had this to say: “Staff are owed thousands of pounds in unpaid wages, sick pay and redundancy payments.
"I myself am owed just shy of £1,000 in earned wages and stolen sick pay.
"What this company/owner has done to me and others, has financially ruined people and ruined their lives.”
Another, who did not wish to be named, said: “I was a manager at one of the shops and I can tell you now we have been treated disgustingly.
"Worked so hard,self manning most of the time, with hardly any stock, not knowing when and if we were going to get paid.
“He (the owner) hadn't been paying our pension into Nest but had been deducting it out of our wages.
“My shop closed in August. I went to work one day and the locks had been changed I had no idea this was going to happen.
“I am now jobless and had no redundancy.
“I did get my wages that I was owed eventually, I was one of the lucky ones as he owes others thousands.”
Another employee said: “I am writing to let you know about the toxic behaviour of the owner of Cooplands.
"He came into the shop on numerous occasions swearing and name calling me in front of customers. Had me in tears constantly.
“We had no stock deliveries, and was asked to go shopping to get supplies for his shop. We wasn’t getting paid and the excuses were ridiculous as to why we wasn’t.
"No wonder his shops are closing down rapidly, he hasn’t a clue. Other employees are awaiting dates for tribunals due to pay and unfair dismissal and bullying.”
Hazel Brian, another employee, added: “I started working at Cooplands in 2021, everything was going well until people started to receive redundancy letters through the post.
"The owner does have the funds to pay his employees and former employees their owed money. He needs to pay up what he owes.
“I want justice for myself and everyone he has ever tried this with. I know it’s not just myself.”
We have approached Cooplands on three occasions now and, as of yet, still not received a response.