Fired Tyson Foods boss says betting on which employees get COVID-19 was a ‘morale boost’

The pool involved betting on what percentage of employees would contract the virus, with the winner of the pool receiving $50.

"We really want to clear our names," said former manager Don Merschbrock. "We actually worked very hard and took care of our team members well."

Merschbrock said that the managers "are not the evil people" as they believe themselves to have been portrayed.

Over 1,000 workers at the Tyson Foods plant in Iowa tested positive for coronavirus in May, and six have died of the virus since contracting it. The company was then sued by the families of four deceased workers, alleging wrongful death.

The managers were criticized for not providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees and failing to close the facility even as coronavirus began to spread throughout the city.

After an investigation of the company by the law firm of former US Attorney General Eric Holder, the managers were fired on Dec 17.

The suit also mentions the pool on which employees would contract coronavirus, but Merschbrock says the pool was less serious than reported.

"It was a group of exhausted supervisors that had worked so hard and so smart to solve many unsolvable problems," Merschbrock claimed.

"It was simply something fun, kind of a morale boost for having put forth an incredible effort. There was never any malicious intent. It was never meant to disparage anyone."

Merschbrock also said that the bets were all substantially lower than the actual positivity rate, indicating that they did not believe the virus would get out of hand at the plant. He also said that he did not believe the pool violated company policy.

He further suggested that balancing coronavirus safety with maintaining productivity, as the company demanded of the managers, was an "impossible task." He says that they were being worked 12 hours per day, six to seven days per week.

Mel Orchard, an attorney working on behalf of the family members of the deceased workers, disagrees that the issue was an "unsolvable problem," arguing that the corporate culture at Tyson Foods prioritizes productivity over human life.

"Listening to the stories of those who lost a father, brother or wife, I have a hard time having sympathy for the managers who worked extra hours and were tired," Orchard said. "But I do understand why and how this could have happened."