u/BarracudaSilly

Jurisdiction: Michigan

Employment status: Former, terminated March 24, 2026

Background:

I worked as an order puller at a building products warehouse in Zeeland, Michigan. The parent company is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The injury — January 7, 2026:

A coworker struck my equipment with his, driving it into my left knee. I verbally reported it to my supervisor immediately with a coworker witness present. I completed the company's official Employee Report of Injury form the same day and selected NO when asked if I was denying care.

Within 40 minutes I emailed a timestamped backup of my handwritten note on the company form to a personal Gmail account. The note reads: "Not denying medical care. Have not yet been seen by a professional." The email is still unopened and predates all company reports.

Five days later my supervisor filed his supervisory incident report stating I "did not need medical attention."

The company classified the incident as a "near miss" — defined as an event where no injury occurs.

Nine days after the injury, after demanding medical care in writing, I was seen at a company-authorized clinic, given a knee brace, and a workers' compensation claim was opened through Travelers Insurance. The injury was not recorded on the OSHA 300 Log. Two other injuries at the same facility during the same period were recorded.

Senior HR management emailed me demanding written confirmation that I had verbally told my supervisor I didn't need medical attention. I have that email.

Retaliation pattern:

One write-up in ten months before the injury. Five write-ups in two months after. Each write-up followed documented protected activity. Productivity metrics were applied selectively — my assignments were structured differently from coworkers who were not disciplined.

ESTA violations:

My Michigan Earned Sick Time was denied with a false statement that I had no hours remaining. I had a Paycom screenshot taken at the moment of denial showing a positive balance. HR reversed the denial after I documented it. A disciplinary write-up issued for sick time use was subsequently deleted from company records.

Wage violations:

The entire workforce was handed an undated document to sign changing bonus structures retroactively. We all refused to sign. Michigan LEO Wage and Hour Division confirmed retroactive pay changes are not permitted.

The termination:

I mailed a certified letter to the parent company's Board of Directors on March 5, 2026. Canada Post confirmed delivery to the parent company's headquarters on March 23, 2026 with an exact timestamp. I was laid off on March 24 — the day after delivery. The termination was characterized as a layoff. No other employees in my classification were laid off. My position has continued to be posted on Indeed and Glassdoor since my termination.

The termination paperwork was approved by the same manager who ran the original retaliatory meeting against me in May 2025.

Agency complaints filed:

• EEOC — active
• Michigan Department of Civil Rights — active
• MIOSHA — filed January 17, 2026; facility was inspected; violations identified
• OSHA — retaliation complaint filed; representative communicated she believed I was seeking to be heard
• Michigan LEO Wage and Hour — filed; investigator confirmed ESTA and retroactive pay violations

Documentation in hand:

Timestamped unopened backup emails predating all company reports. Video of the injury in federal OSHA custody. HR email requesting false written confirmation. Paycom screenshots. Michigan LEO investigator correspondence. Canada Post and USPS tracking records. Termination paperwork naming approving parties. Job postings on Indeed and Glassdoor. ADENTRA's own published Whistleblower Policy and Code of Corporate Ethics, both of which explicitly prohibit retaliation and designate specific reporting channels I used.

Questions:

1. Under the Michigan Whistleblowers' Protection Act, how significant is the one-day gap between documented delivery of a Board complaint and termination? Does temporal proximity this tight typically create a presumption of retaliatory motive or does it still require additional evidence?
2. The termination was characterized as a layoff with no other simultaneous reductions in force. The position continues to be posted. Does Michigan law treat a pretextual layoff the same as a direct termination for purposes of WPA claims?
3. The senior HR manager's email demanding written confirmation I verbally declined care — while I have documented contemporaneous evidence to the contrary — creates what kind of exposure for the company and for her individually?
4. At what point in this process should I have retained an attorney, and does the existence of active EEOC and MDCR complaints affect the statute of limitations on state claims?

I'm a former order puller at a US subsidiary of ADENTRA Inc., a Canadian building products company publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker ADEN. They operate in the US under several brand names. Their published ESG theme is "Building Environmental & Material Stewardship, Cultivating Healthy Workplaces, and Championing Privacy, Ethics & Transparency"

Here's what actually happened at my facility.

The injury

On January 7, 2026 a coworker struck my equipment with his, injuring my left knee. I reported it to my supervisor immediately. Witnesses present. I filled out the official company injury form the same day and selected NO when asked if I was denying care.

Within 40 minutes I emailed a timestamped backup of my handwritten note on that form to a personal account. The note reads: "Not denying medical care. Have not yet been seen by a professional." That email is still unopened. It predates every company report about the incident.

Five days later my supervisor filed his incident report stating I "did not need medical attention."

The company classified my injury as a "near miss." By definition, a near miss is an incident where no injury occurs.

When I finally got medical care — after demanding it in writing — I was given a knee brace and a workers' compensation claim was opened through Travelers Insurance. The same supervisor who said I didn't need care had to watch me get a knee brace for the injury he said didn't happen.

The pattern

Before my injury: one write-up in ten months. After my injury: five write-ups in two months.

The write-ups were for productivity. What they didn't document: I was assigned higher stops and lower lbs per order. The inner circle pulled whole skids delivered by forklift with computer-selected orders, pulling 14,000+ lbs per day. They were even allowed computer access to select their own order. I wasn’t. My supervisor privately acknowledged I shouldn't be written up given the orders I was assigned. Rumors about my pace were spread by supervisors before any write-up was issued.

The safety hazard that affects everyone

Separate from my injury, I filed a MIOSHA complaint about an ongoing daily hazard. Forklift drivers carry 2,000+ pound loads of 8-17 foot lumber down an 800-foot aisle with the load raised full mast — directly over the heads of order pullers who are trapped between their equipment, warehouse racking, and product. No escape route. This happens multiple times every day.

The company has tilt-mast forklifts specifically designed to carry loads to the side. In two years I never saw them used on my shift. My supervisor is licensed to operate them. He never did.

When a driver trapped a coworker under a raised load, management's response was to tell my coworker he'd be fired if it happened again. Not the driver. The person who was trapped.

The wages

My earned sick time was denied with a false statement that I had no hours remaining. I had a screenshot proving otherwise taken at the exact moment of denial. This. After multiple attempts to discipline me for using Michigan Sick Leave. HR reversed it after I documented it. 

 After my complaints of unpaid biweekly bonuses and mistakes in payments made to coworkers. The entire workforce was handed an undated document to sign changing our bonus structure retroactively..  We all refused. Michigan's Wage and Hour Division confirmed retroactive pay changes are not permitted.

The parent company

I emailed ADENTRA's CFO and CEO directly on December 5, 2025, describing the violations as "a willful violation of Michigan law and a breakdown of internal controls." I warned of escalation to "all available legal and regulatory avenues."

Twenty-six days later, the CEO and CFO certified under Canadian securities law that the company's disclosure controls were effective. Active state agency investigations were not disclosed in their Annual Information Form.

I mailed a certified letter to the ADENTRA Board of Directors on March 5, 2026. Canada Post confirmed delivery to ADENTRA's headquarters in Langley, BC on March 23, 2026 with an exact timestamp.

I was laid off under the guise of a reduction in headcount on March 24. The same people who ran the retaliation campaign against me approved my termination paperwork.

Order Puller positions are still being posted on Indeed and Glassdoor. Indeed and Glassdoor maintain server-side records of every posting with original post dates. Those records are subpoenaable.

Where things stand

Active complaints: EEOC and Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).

I have also filed complaints with OSHA, MIOSHA, and Michigan's Wage and Hour Division. MIOSHA visited the facility and identified violations. An OSHA representative reviewing my retaliation complaint communicated that she believed I was seeking to be heard.

ADENTRA's Whistleblower Policy states the company "strictly prohibits retaliation against any employee who, in good faith, reports a possible violation." Their Code of Corporate Ethics states "The Company does not tolerate any act of retaliation against Company Personnel who report potential or actual violations of the Code or of applicable law in good faith."

I was terminated the day after my Board letter was delivered.

If you have worked at any ADENTRA subsidiary — Novo Building Products, Empire Moulding and Millwork, Mid-Am Building Supply, Rugby, or any other — and have had similar experiences, I would like to hear from you.

Happy to answer questions.

I'm a former order puller at a US subsidiary of ADENTRA Inc., a Canadian building products company publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker ADEN. They operate in the US under several brand names. Their published ESG theme is "Building Environmental & Material Stewardship, Cultivating Healthy Workplaces, and Championing Privacy, Ethics & Transparency"

Here's what actually happened at my facility.

The injury

On January 7, 2026 a coworker struck my equipment with his, injuring my left knee. I reported it to my supervisor immediately. Witnesses present. I filled out the official company injury form the same day and selected NO when asked if I was denying care.

Within 40 minutes I emailed a timestamped backup of my handwritten note on that form to a personal account. The note reads: "Not denying medical care. Have not yet been seen by a professional." That email is still unopened. It predates every company report about the incident.

Five days later my supervisor filed his incident report stating I "did not need medical attention."

The company classified my injury as a "near miss." By definition, a near miss is an incident where no injury occurs.

When I finally got medical care — after demanding it in writing — I was given a knee brace and a workers' compensation claim was opened through Travelers Insurance. The same supervisor who said I didn't need care had to watch me get a knee brace for the injury he said didn't happen.

The pattern

Before my injury: one write-up in ten months. After my injury: five write-ups in two months.

The write-ups were for productivity. What they didn't document: I was assigned higher stops and lower lbs per order. The inner circle pulled whole skids delivered by forklift with computer-selected orders, pulling 14,000+ lbs per day. They were even allowed computer access to select their own order. I wasn’t. My supervisor privately acknowledged I shouldn't be written up given the orders I was assigned. Rumors about my pace were spread by supervisors before any write-up was issued.

The safety hazard that affects everyone

Separate from my injury, I filed a MIOSHA complaint about an ongoing daily hazard. Forklift drivers carry 2,000+ pound loads of 8-17 foot lumber down an 800-foot aisle with the load raised full mast — directly over the heads of order pullers who are trapped between their equipment, warehouse racking, and product. No escape route. This happens multiple times every day.

The company has tilt-mast forklifts specifically designed to carry loads to the side. In two years I never saw them used on my shift. My supervisor is licensed to operate them. He never did.

When a driver trapped a coworker under a raised load, management's response was to tell my coworker he'd be fired if it happened again. Not the driver. The person who was trapped.

The wages

My earned sick time was denied with a false statement that I had no hours remaining. I had a screenshot proving otherwise taken at the exact moment of denial. This. After multiple attempts to discipline me for using Michigan Sick Leave. HR reversed it after I documented it. 

 After my complaints of unpaid biweekly bonuses and mistakes in payments made to coworkers. The entire workforce was handed an undated document to sign changing our bonus structure retroactively..  We all refused. Michigan's Wage and Hour Division confirmed retroactive pay changes are not permitted.

The parent company

I emailed ADENTRA's CFO and CEO directly on December 5, 2025, describing the violations as "a willful violation of Michigan law and a breakdown of internal controls." I warned of escalation to "all available legal and regulatory avenues."

Twenty-six days later, the CEO and CFO certified under Canadian securities law that the company's disclosure controls were effective. Active state agency investigations were not disclosed in their Annual Information Form.

I mailed a certified letter to the ADENTRA Board of Directors on March 5, 2026. Canada Post confirmed delivery to ADENTRA's headquarters in Langley, BC on March 23, 2026 with an exact timestamp.

I was laid off under the guise of a reduction in headcount on March 24. The same people who ran the retaliation campaign against me approved my termination paperwork.

Order Puller positions are still being posted on Indeed and Glassdoor. Indeed and Glassdoor maintain server-side records of every posting with original post dates. Those records are subpoenaable.

Where things stand

Active complaints: EEOC and Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).

I have also filed complaints with OSHA, MIOSHA, and Michigan's Wage and Hour Division. MIOSHA visited the facility and identified violations. An OSHA representative reviewing my retaliation complaint communicated that she believed I was seeking to be heard.

ADENTRA's Whistleblower Policy states the company "strictly prohibits retaliation against any employee who, in good faith, reports a possible violation." Their Code of Corporate Ethics states "The Company does not tolerate any act of retaliation against Company Personnel who report potential or actual violations of the Code or of applicable law in good faith."

I was terminated the day after my Board letter was delivered.

If you have worked at any ADENTRA subsidiary — Novo Building Products, Empire Moulding and Millwork, Mid-Am Building Supply, Rugby, or any other — and have had similar experiences, I would like to hear from you.

Happy to answer questions.

I'm a former order puller at a US subsidiary of ADENTRA Inc., a Canadian building products company publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker ADEN. They operate in the US under several brand names. Their published ESG theme is "Building Environmental & Material Stewardship, Cultivating Healthy Workplaces, and Championing Privacy, Ethics & Transparency"

Here's what actually happened at my facility.

The injury

On January 7, 2026 a coworker struck my equipment with his, injuring my left knee. I reported it to my supervisor immediately. Witnesses present. I filled out the official company injury form the same day and selected NO when asked if I was denying care.

Within 40 minutes I emailed a timestamped backup of my handwritten note on that form to a personal account. The note reads: "Not denying medical care. Have not yet been seen by a professional." That email is still unopened. It predates every company report about the incident.

Five days later my supervisor filed his incident report stating I "did not need medical attention."

The company classified my injury as a "near miss." By definition, a near miss is an incident where no injury occurs.

When I finally got medical care — after demanding it in writing — I was given a knee brace and a workers' compensation claim was opened through Travelers Insurance. The same supervisor who said I didn't need care had to watch me get a knee brace for the injury he said didn't happen.

The pattern

Before my injury: one write-up in ten months. After my injury: five write-ups in two months.

The write-ups were for productivity. What they didn't document: I was assigned higher stops and lower lbs per order. The inner circle pulled whole skids delivered by forklift with computer-selected orders, pulling 14,000+ lbs per day. They were even allowed computer access to select their own order. I wasn’t. My supervisor privately acknowledged I shouldn't be written up given the orders I was assigned. Rumors about my pace were spread by supervisors before any write-up was issued.

The safety hazard that affects everyone

Separate from my injury, I filed a MIOSHA complaint about an ongoing daily hazard. Forklift drivers carry 2,000+ pound loads of 8-17 foot lumber down an 800-foot aisle with the load raised full mast — directly over the heads of order pullers who are trapped between their equipment, warehouse racking, and product. No escape route. This happens multiple times every day.

The company has tilt-mast forklifts specifically designed to carry loads to the side. In two years I never saw them used on my shift. My supervisor is licensed to operate them. He never did.

When a driver trapped a coworker under a raised load, management's response was to tell my coworker he'd be fired if it happened again. Not the driver. The person who was trapped.

The wages

My earned sick time was denied with a false statement that I had no hours remaining. I had a screenshot proving otherwise taken at the exact moment of denial. This. After multiple attempts to discipline me for using Michigan Sick Leave. HR reversed it after I documented it. 

 After my complaints of unpaid biweekly bonuses and mistakes in payments made to coworkers. The entire workforce was handed an undated document to sign changing our bonus structure retroactively..  We all refused. Michigan's Wage and Hour Division confirmed retroactive pay changes are not permitted.

The parent company

I emailed ADENTRA's CFO and CEO directly on December 5, 2025, describing the violations as "a willful violation of Michigan law and a breakdown of internal controls." I warned of escalation to "all available legal and regulatory avenues."

Twenty-six days later, the CEO and CFO certified under Canadian securities law that the company's disclosure controls were effective. Active state agency investigations were not disclosed in their Annual Information Form.

I mailed a certified letter to the ADENTRA Board of Directors on March 5, 2026. Canada Post confirmed delivery to ADENTRA's headquarters in Langley, BC on March 23, 2026 with an exact timestamp.

I was laid off under the guise of a reduction in headcount on March 24. The same people who ran the retaliation campaign against me approved my termination paperwork.

Order Puller positions are still being posted on Indeed and Glassdoor. Indeed and Glassdoor maintain server-side records of every posting with original post dates. Those records are subpoenaable.

Where things stand

Active complaints: EEOC and Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).

I have also filed complaints with OSHA, MIOSHA, and Michigan's Wage and Hour Division. MIOSHA visited the facility and identified violations. An OSHA representative reviewing my retaliation complaint communicated that she believed I was seeking to be heard.

ADENTRA's Whistleblower Policy states the company "strictly prohibits retaliation against any employee who, in good faith, reports a possible violation." Their Code of Corporate Ethics states "The Company does not tolerate any act of retaliation against Company Personnel who report potential or actual violations of the Code or of applicable law in good faith."

I was terminated the day after my Board letter was delivered.

If you have worked at any ADENTRA subsidiary — Novo Building Products, Empire Moulding and Millwork, Mid-Am Building Supply, Rugby, or any other — and have had similar experiences, I would like to hear from you.

Happy to answer questions.