Complaint Review: HPNG

Hispanic Professionals Networking Group, or HPNG, under the direction of its President, Ali Curi, owes me $8,200 in unpaid wages for work from May 1 to June 15, 2012, in addition to damages for late payment and bank fees from bounced paychecks. 

HPNG hosts networking events in New York and Miami and offers professional and personal development workshops that address Latino specific issues, including (ironically) leadership and career development. Curi contacted me this past Spring asking if I would work for his company to organize networking events, but then never paid me for the tireless work I did, and 6 months later still has not. 

Over the past 6 months, besides not paying the funds owed, HPNG has not provided any timeline for repayment nor any clear evidence of their intention to pay; I get the impression they are hoping I will forget about the money owed. However, I have remained vigilant in reminding Curi of the money owed with no explanation in response.

This past Spring when paychecks bounced, company president Ali Curi promised to repay the amounts owed within the week, saying "not to worry, I'll pay you the money I owe", and allowing me to continue working for him, knowing full well that he did not have the money to pay me. Eventually, after 3 checks bounced from my bank account, I stopped work and continued with other professional endeavors.

To make things worse, because HPNG had attempted to avoid paying employment taxes, I was misfiled with the New York Dept of Labor (NYDOL), and I had to fight for weeks with the NYDOL to rectify the error. Besides being illegal, these shady business practices certainly do not set a good example for companies looking to HPNG for business development insight. 

As described on its website, HPNG takes pride in its workshops on career and leadership development, financial planning, and legal matters, yet it treats its employees poorly, allowing them to work for weeks on end and then refusing them pay rightfully owed. This is illegal, unprofessional, and will not stand!

It's time we ask HPNG to play fairly and to pay its employees wages rightfully owed. How can a company with such poor business practices preach financial planning and leadership development? 

Why has HPNG failed to pay its employees for many month's of employment? Why has HPNG and Ali Curi ignored requests for payment for months on end, providing no information as to how the situation can be rectified? 

To those who have worked with HPNG, please take a second to consider how Curi has treated his employees, and whether you wish to continue supporting such foul play. Please, help me show Curi that this behavior is unacceptable and that above all, in owning a small business, employees must be paid and paid on time. 

While this post will not be removed, I will update it to reflect any payment received from Ali Curi and HPNG. So far, I have received no response.  www.hpng.net