Some companies say they’re a family. Others prove they’re not. King Kullen wants you to believe they’re a ‘family business.’

Well, let me tell you what they did to MY family.

My husband gave King Kullen nearly TWO DECADES of service. He sacrificed every weekend and most holidays. He had one day off a week. He commuted 30+ miles each way while closer stores sat with open positions. He worked 15 WEEKS' worth of overtime hours during COVID.

And how did they show their appreciation for him?

🚫 No paycheck.

🚫 No medical care.

🚫 Just retaliation, surveillance, and a lawsuit.

When he needed them to have his back, they stabbed him in it.

Imagine dedicating the majority of your life to a company that cares this little about you.

When he got hurt - they made sure to kick him while he was already down. They made an injured employee come in physically to fill out the paperwork (because we don't have technology or anything) and then they frivolously controverted his claim anyway.

King Kullen's Response to a Legitimate Workers’ Comp Claim?

❌ Denied him benefits.

❌ Refused him medical treatment.

❌ Let him sit in pain for a year (and counting) with NO income.

❌ Ignored almost two decades of loyalty then threw him out like he was disposable.

❌ Forced us to fight tooth and nail just to get what he was already legally owed.

And they didn’t stop there.

👀 Private investigators were PAID to stalk my husband.

🕵️ Grown men sat outside our home, day after day, like some low-budget crime drama - hoping to ‘catch’ him faking his injury.

Their BIG evidence?

📹 A video of us dancing… from BEFORE his injury. Going as far as to ask my husband how much I weighed during his hearing.

📸 Pictures of the workers we HIRED to hang our holiday lights.

Seriously? THAT’S where their money went.

Not to the injured employee. Not to his medical treatment. To SPYING ON HIM.

⏳ After they gathered all of the, rock solid, evidence above, they interviewed four witnesses - three of which were not even working in the same building the day of his injury, and none were with him when he got hurt - to testify against his claim. They only scheduled 15 minutes for the first hearing, so they had to reschedule it - a month later. So, we had to have two more hearings 4 to 6 weeks apart each just to get through the bogus testimonies (more on those later). They dragged the case out for months with major gaps of time between each hearing, hoping we’d give up and go away.

Their lawyer even asked the judge to delay the last hearing so THEY could ‘get through the holidays.’ Oh, how thoughtful. We can't pay our mortgage, but sure - let’s make sure YOU have a stress-free holiday season.

The Ripple Effect: King Kullen Didn’t Just Hurt Him - They Upended Both Our Lives.

My credit score: I went from never missing a payment to choosing between bills and a roof over our heads.

My business growth: I had to cut work for my contractors because I couldn’t afford to keep them on. I was unable to invest any of my income back into the business.

My well-being: I said no to things I needed - not just things I wanted.

My opportunities: Business travel, conferences, marketing - all doors I worked my ass off to open slammed shut.

My celebrations: I canceled vacations. No gifts. No extras. No fun.

My peace of mind: Instead of enjoying life - I’ve spent the last year+ drowning in stress, exhaustion, and the constant fear of losing everything.

Legal fees: After all that - we STILL have to pay thousands just to get what should have already been his. (Infuriating side bar on this one: whenever they end up paying him - it will be at the 50% disability rate, when he was able to work 0% of the time because 1 out of 3 doctors said that he could work light duty. Was he offered light duty? No. So he was 100% unable to make money.)

Debt collectors: Because when you’re forced to choose between feeding your family and paying a credit card bill - the choice is obvious.

Overdraft fees: Because being broke isn’t punishment enough - banks make sure to profit off your suffering too.

They, quite literally, BANKRUPTED us.

And the worst part?

When you're a butcher hauling thousands of pounds of meat every week, your body will break down eventually. His previous two injuries? Covered without issue. But this time?

This time it was about the timing. And let’s just say, it smelled fishier than the seafood aisle on a summer day.

You know what I think the REAL reason is for the target on his back? Oh, he called out alright... a store manager for having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Apparently, Chad was too distracted playing grocery aisle Casanova to do his job… so instead, they came for my husband’s.

And it worked.

But this isn’t the first time King Kullen made him suffer.

They have a long history of mistreatment.

⚠️ They belittled his younger brother - who suffered a traumatic brain injury and was working there during his recovery - until he left the company.

⚠️ They transferred my husband to a store as far away from his home as possible after he refused to work under the same abusive manager.

⚠️ And in the year leading up to his injury, they repeatedly retaliated against him.

Why?

Because, for the first time in almost 20 years of service, he needed to take time off.

How King Kullen Mishandled His Legally Protected Leave:

🚩 In 2023, when I shattered my ankle in three places and was subsequently diagnosed with CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) - one of the most painful conditions known to medicine - they FAILED to properly process his Paid Family Leave (PFL) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests, completing his paperwork MONTHS after my surgery.

🚩 They WROTE HIM UP multiple times (including during his leave and just after it “ended”) for “excessive absences” despite the fact that he had time off available, he still had weeks of his leave allotment left, and his absences were lawful.

🚩 They CREATED NEW RULES just for him - rules no other employee had to follow - then claimed he wasn’t following the “right” call-out procedure, even though he followed the same process he had for 15+ years.

🚩 They SUSPENDED HIM WITHOUT PAY for calling out sick, pending a meeting with his AMALGAMATED MEAT CUTTERS & RETAIL UNION LOCAL 342 rep, costing him approximately $1,000 in lost wages. He was reinstated the following day, but he still had the flu.

During this meeting, their sorry excuse for an HR person even had the audacity (and complete incompetence) to claim sick days were, and I quote, "That's not a leave; it’s your sick time. It’s separate.”

…Excuse me, what?

It’s called New York Paid Sick Leave law, not sick leave strongly suggested.

King Kullen expected a butcher with the FLU to handle YOUR food. And when he stayed home?

🚫 They SUSPENDED HIM.

They even testified that they retaliated against him as an argument for appeal in his, completely unrelated, Worker's Comp case:

This is how we found out that if he hadn’t been injured, they were planning yet ANOTHER BS disciplinary action. The so-called “complaints” against him? Still unknown. But here’s the kicker: HR never scheduled a meeting with him at all.

Instead, Jenna - the same HR rep who repeatedly wrote him up and suspended him for covered absences and wondered why he gave her pushback - went into the store on his regular day off. Not to speak with him. But to investigate him behind his back, knowing he wouldn’t be there.

Now, as much as Jenna is the exact opposite kind of HR professional I strive to be, even she clarified under oath that he had no idea he was being investigated. She admitted she was going in to speak with coworkers, not with him. He wasn’t dodging anything - he didn’t even know they were building a case against him.

That tidbit fell on deaf ears apparently as their attorney still tried to twist the story.

And two of the witnesses they leaned on most?

One was Chad (yes, that Chad), the store manager too busy playing Romeo & Juliet: Grocery Edition to manage his own department. The other? Steve – the assistant meat manager. You know, the guy who’d clearly benefit if my husband got the chop. Because nothing says ‘career growth’ like carving out your promotion on someone else’s back.

Their compelling argument? That Joe had “admitted” to hurting himself doing yard work while on vacation. What he actually said? That he “needed a vacation from his vacation” because his wife was “breaking his back in the yard all week.”

It was a joke. A throwaway comment. He was sore when he came back.

But here’s the thing:

Two things can be true. You can be sore from yard work. And still throw your back out at work the following week.

Which is exactly what happened.

But instead of acknowledging reality, they twisted his words, handed the mic to Chad and Steve, and tried to rewrite the truth into something more damning.

⚖️ When he finally, and rightfully, WON his case they APPEALED IT.

They appealed the decision that entitled him to payment and health care, introducing NO new evidence, simply because they could. And of course, they waited until the very end of the 30 days they had to submit it, for the sole purpose of dragging this on some more.

The appeal just restated the same B.S. from the many hearings.

They chose to put us through ANOTHER 9 to 12 months (according to Google) of financial hell because they refused to do the right thing.

This should be illegal.

Let's be real. They saw his case as an opportunity to attack his character and deny him the treatment he needed to return to work because they wanted him GONE.

And eventually, they got what they wanted.

We received a formal pre-termination notice from King Kullen - dated May 16, 2025 - on May 24th via certified mail, informing us that my husband will be fired in a week if he is unable to return work, the very same day his union protection under Workers’ Comp officially expires, exactly one year after his injury.

Zero empathy, zero inquiry into his actual medical situation... or any possible accommodations.

How exactly is he supposed to return to work? He STILL hasn’t received any treatment and physically can’t return to work until the lengthy appeal process that they decided to put him through plays out.

What happened when he tried to get medical treatment for his multiple herniated discs (and a freaking HERNIA)? DENIED.

Instead, he got: No care. No income. And now - no job. Which means (you guessed it) - no more health insurance. The irony is real.

The letter is a textbook CYA move. Cover Your Ass, in HR-speak. But let’s be honest: the tone, the timing, the complete lack of acknowledgment that he’s still waiting for treatment? Yeah. That wasn’t a just a CYA letter - it was a “See ya later!”. Cold, clinical, and delivered with just enough time to check the box and dodge accountability.

It's the kind of corporate maneuver that pretends to be policy, when really, it’s just cowardice dressed up in legalese.

Honestly? It’s absolute bullshit.

It’s a calculated move to document that they "warned" him, likely so they can say, "See? We followed procedure. We were transparent. We gave notice." It’s a strategy to offload liability while pretending their hands are tied. They know damn well that he can’t return yet because of their own appeals process.

Today, after a year of delays, denials, and dead silence, King Kullen managed to fire off that termination letter with record speed. Postmarked just 1 day after the anniversary of his injury - the very date his union protection expires. It’s like they had it ready to go, just waiting for the clock to run out:

No information about COBRA. No notice of his right to apply for unemployment benefits. They didn't even have the decency to terminate him over Zoom.

Instead of helping him heal, they punished him until they could push him out.

From an HR perspective: shady. From a human perspective: cruel.

What King Kullen Wants You to Believe vs. What They Actually Do

They want you to believe they care. They want you to believe they value loyalty. They want you to believe they are a family.

But you know what?

Not ONCE has anyone from King Kullen asked if he’s okay.

🚫 They never checked in.

🚫 They never reached out.

🚫 They never cared.

They took everything from him - his health, his income, his career, his stability - and didn’t even have the decency to ask if he was okay.

And even when the legal system ruled in his favor - they STILL refused to do the right thing, delaying treatment for over a year just so they could TERMINATE him.

They knew exactly what they were doing.

Because this wasn’t their first time.

They’ve been targeting him for a while.

If I wasn’t royally pissed off before, I sure as hell am now.

I’m Not Just Someone Who's Spouse Got Screwed Over

I spend my days advising employers on how to AVOID situations like this.

💼 I know employment law.

📑 I know leave of absences and workers’ comp rights.

🧐 And I know to keep the receipts.

King Kullen failed my husband and our family, but this isn't just about one bad employer.

This is about a system built to break people - a system that assumes the employee is guilty until proven innocent.

THIS is why I fight for fair workplaces.

THIS is why I will NEVER be the kind of HR that protects companies at the expense of their people.

Let’s make something clear -

I will never put control of my paycheck - or my family’s future - in the hands of people who see and workers as disposable.

I will never again trust a big corporation to do the right thing.

I will never stop fighting for employees who get tossed aside like trash.

Because NO ONE should have to endure this.

Workers’ Comp is supposed to protect injured workers. Instead, it became a weapon - wielded by companies like King Kullen to delay, deny, and destroy everything we built. The system didn’t just fail us. It gave them the tools to do it.

This Isn’t Just a Call-Out - This is a Call to Action.

Workers deserve better. Help expose the truth. If you’ve ever been mistreated by an employer like this, speak up. Your story matters.

STOP shopping at King Kullen. Their bottom line is the ONLY thing they care about - so let them feel it.

📢 SHARE this post. Let people see the truth behind their employer branding nonsense.

⚖️ SUPPORT workers’ rights. Because if this can happen to us - it can happen to you too.

🖊️ Want to help change this broken system? Sign our petition demanding that New York State Workers’ Compensation provide access to care through health insurance while claims are contested. SIGN HERE – Because no injured worker should be left without treatment, income, or hope while waiting for the benefits they deserve.

📢 Hold King Kullen and Travelers Accountable

Tracey Cullen, this is your ‘family business’ - yes? Imagine how you would feel if this happened to your family. I hope you never have to find out what it’s like to have your whole life turned upside down due to an employer's negligence.

📢 New York State Workers' Compensation Board if you actually care about injured workers, prove it. No more delays. No more excuses. Take a hard look at how this case has been handled and do something. Fix it.



To better ensure accountability, I am also tagging U.S. Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, New York State Department of Labor, & Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

And if you’re an employment lawyer – we don’t have any money (they made sure of that), but we sure as hell have a case.

What’s Next for my Husband?

He is done giving everything to companies that give nothing back. We’re building something new - something that puts families first, fights for fairness, and never forgets what he’s been through.