LEBANON, Mo. (KY3) – Some former workers at a Lebanon ice cream plant claim their dream jobs have turned into a financial nightmare. That’s when they contacted On Your Side.
Former employees at the Ice Cream Factory in Lebanon say they’ve faced empty bank accounts and months of uncertainty. They claim payroll problems left them working without pay—and forced several of them to walk away just to stay afloat.
“I’ve been there for about 9 months. Two months in, it started to show that we weren’t getting paid on time,” said Eloy Gonzalez. “I’ve depleted my bank account and my savings just trying to keep up. With my payments… I’m just about broke.”
Devin Gonzalez said, “It took three weeks for me to get my first paycheck. So just right off the bat, it was taking too long to get paid. Paychecks weren’t sliding in every week.”
Eloy Gonzalez says the payroll issues hit workers across the entire facility—from HR and management to warehouse staff.
“Excuses after excuses. It’s all the time. I could call right now, and I’d have another excuse as to why we didn’t get paid,” he said.
Gonzalez says after months of broken promises, he walked away. He has not received his last check.
Ice Cream Factory CEO Gail Kurpgeweit says the problem stems from a payroll system transition after she bought the company late last year.
“It’s painful. Some people really live week-to-week on their checks. I really respect that. I’m doing everything I can to fix it,” explained Kurpgeweit.
While she works on a permanent fix, Kurpgeweit says she is stepping in personally to bridge the gap.
“If any employee is having trouble—they don’t have gas money, rent’s late, all the things that happen—me, personally, I’m Cash App-ing them or whatever I have to do to advance their paycheck. Then we’ll sort it out when this is all done,” she said.
Kurpgeweit expects the payroll system to be resolved in the coming weeks. But former workers like Eloy Gonzalez say it’s not soon enough.
“I just want to get paid. That way I can move on, close this chapter, and move on,” said Eloy Gonzalez.
Kurpgeweit says any current or former employees still missing wages can contact company management directly to get those funds resolved.
We’ll continue to follow this story and provide updates as that new payroll system rolls out.
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