A former employee of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) expressed concern for his friends and former colleagues still with the company, telling FOX 2 reporters that they’re all scared for their safety as COVID-19 surges throughout the company’s Pontiac, Mich., campus. However, they’re also afraid that confronting the issue would put their jobs in jeopardy.
"What are we supposed to do now? We don't have anything in place to protect us," the former employee told FOX 2 reporters. "We've seen 10 to 12 people at one time — just not in the office for a few days, and then we find out it's because they got sick — they're in contact with someone who had COVID — they actually have COVID.”
"That should automatically be a red alert,” he continued. “Hey — we need to put something back in place, to make sure people are safe."
According to the FOX 2 report, several journalists have received complaints from worried employees at UWM, noting this is not the first time COVID-19 complaints have come from this particular company. The first came over a year ago, when Oakland County Health Department issued an emergency order to the company.
Bill Mullan, Oakland County spokesperson, said the Oakland County Health Department issued an emergency order for what was then-called United Shore Mortgage to follow the governor's mandate. After 50 employees tested positive, the company was made to enforce social distancing, masks, and screen testing.
Mat Ishbia, CEO of UWM, told FOX 2 reporters he prefers to have his employees in the office for team-building.
"Sitting in pajamas with a power shirt — that's not what people want to do long-term," Ishbia said. "And if you are one of those people — that's just not a great fit for us — and that's okay, there's nothing wrong with that. We just know who we want, to be part of our family."
As the pandemic slowly receded in the beginning of 2021, employees went back to the office and state mandates were no longer in place. There were no more temperature checks, social distancing, or plexiglass dividers.
"A lot of people are saying, 'send us home; bring back the mask mandate; make them verify they don't have COVID' before they come back in this office," the former employee said.
UWM did not provide a statement on the matter. However, it did state there currently are no government mandates for masks, social distancing, or screening tests at the moment. A spokesperson for UWM did not say how many of its 9,000 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, but told FOX 2 the company is following government guidelines — offering employees free masks, on-site and off-site testing, and making vaccines available for those who want them.
The former employee referred to the fact that Ishbia often calls his employees "family," stating, "You want to protect your family, so do the precautions necessary to ensure they are safe."
