HelloFresh Workers Allege Abuse, Denied Bathroom Breaks in Suit

By Amara Osei

Workers at a HelloFresh facility in Newark, New Jersey claim in court documents that supervisors verbally and physically abused them and denied them regular bathroom breaks. One former worker told the Guardian he developed incontinence issues as a result of the denied breaks.

The allegations appear in a newly proposed amended complaint filed in a class action lawsuit against the meal kit giant and several staffing agencies. A New Jersey state court judge is expected to review the amended complaint at a hearing scheduled for 23 October.

The suit was first filed in August 2024. It targets HelloFresh, one of the largest meal kit delivery services, alongside the staffing agencies that supplied workers to the Newark facility.

HelloFresh denies the claims. The company said it investigated and found the allegations to be "entirely without merit."

What do the workers allege?

The court documents describe two central claims:

• Verbal and physical abuse of workers at the Newark facility.
• Denial of regular bathroom breaks, which one former worker says caused him incontinence issues.

The former worker described his experience directly to the Guardian. His account anchors the human element of the amended complaint.

The class action structure means other workers at the facility could join the case if the court accepts the amended complaint. That decision rests with the New Jersey state court judge at the 23 October hearing.

How has HelloFresh responded?

The company has rejected every claim. HelloFresh says it reviewed the allegations and concluded they were "entirely without merit."

That defense sets up a direct dispute over facts. On one side: sworn court documents and a named worker account given to the Guardian. On the other: a company investigation that cleared the facility.

The staffing agencies named in the suit have not commented publicly on the amended complaint, according to the Guardian's report.

What happens on 23 October?

The hearing gives a New Jersey state court judge the first formal look at the amended complaint. If the judge accepts it, the case moves forward with the expanded allegations. If not, the workers' legal team must revise again.

The original suit has been active since August 2024. The amended complaint escalates it, adding detailed abuse and bathroom-break claims to what began as a broader labor action against HelloFresh and its staffing partners.

For HelloFresh, the stakes extend beyond one courtroom. The company built its brand on convenience and home cooking. Allegations of warehouse abuse and denied bathroom breaks cut against that image, and the case will test whether a "without merit" defense holds under the scrutiny of a public class action proceeding.

The 23 October hearing will determine whether the expanded claims proceed.