Over the past three years, dairy farmers Keith Schaefer and his daughter Megan Hill stole at least $3 million from hundreds of their workers across central Minnesota, according to a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Keith Ellison earlier this month.
Schaefer and Hill, who own Evergreen Acres Dairy and Morgan Feedlots, allegedly shaved 12-32 hours off workers’ paychecks every two weeks, refused to pay workers for their first and last weeks of work and unlawfully deducted rent from their wages for beds in barns, garages and other structures not suitable for human habitation.
Workers also were not paid overtime premiums on top of their $12-$17 hourly rate, despite putting in 12-hour days, six to seven days a week, according to Elllison’s lawsuit.
Stealing anything valued at more than $1,000 is a felony in Minnesota, but Schaefer and Hill were not arrested when they were served notice of the lawsuit at their home in Stearns County. They haven’t been charged with any crimes (though the lawsuit also includes descriptions of Schaefer physically assaulting and threatening to kill workers).
The case illustrates both the promise and challenges of Minnesota’s relatively new wage theft law, which seeks to deter a practice that worker advocates say is all too common.
If the employer and employee are stealing from each other, it’s just shifting the same money around the business, but along a different path than if they were both being honest. Plus they each get the satisfaction of thinking they’re getting away with something. We just need a Department of Theft Regulations to ensure it stays balanced. I’m sure Lord Vetinari can appoint one.