Disgruntled salespeople employed by Johnson Controls continue to file new lawsuits against the company related to its fiscal year 2023 sales incentive plan.
The company’s revised plan eradicated a system of backlog payments that employees argue they were owed under a previous version of the sales incentive plan.
Jeffrey Halfter, a New York resident, is joining the spate of lawsuits against Johnson Controls.
Halfter, who resides in East Islip, is a security major account executive for Johnson Controls. He’s worked for the company since 2011. He is assigned to the Farmingdale, New York branch.
Halfter booked “millions of dollars in sales” in 2023, according to his lawsuit. He was owed more than $140,334 in commission for booked but incomplete projects at the time Johnson Controls revised its sales incentive plan.
“(The company) continues to receive payment for (Halfter’s) ongoing projects and has informed (Halfter) that it will keep his earned 50% commission going forward for all of his 2023 (and prior) sales,” according to the lawsuit.
Halfter is suing the company for breach of contract, violations of New York Labor Law and unjust enrichment.
Halfter’s case is among three lawsuits filed in New York that have been reassigned to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The other two cases were filed by Francesco Pagano, a New York resident who claims he’s owed more than $229,000 in commissions, and Linda Riccitelli, another New York resident who alleges she’s still owed $100,000 in commissions.
The very first lawsuit filed against Johnson Controls was filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin in January 2024. A motion hearing in that case is scheduled for next month. An earlier motion to dismiss the case filed by Johnson Controls essentially left the lawsuit in a state of limbo until a judge decides whether to move forward.
“The success of our organization is directly tied to the success of our people, and we routinely assess our practices to best support their growth and achievements,” said Johnson Controls in a previously issued statement. “We modified our sales incentive program to better align with our company strategy to deliver smart, healthy and more sustainable environments for our customers. We will continue to assist our sales organization to ensure a seamless transition to our revised competitive model.”
More stories about the dispute between Johnson Controls and some of its salespeople:
- Johnson Controls employees from eight more states plan to join lawsuit filed in Wisconsin
- Colorado salesperson the latest to file lawsuit related to Johnson Controls’ new sales incentive plan
- The evolution of Johnson Controls: Shift toward tech comes with challenges to change
- Johnson Controls files motion to dismiss sales incentive plan lawsuit filed in Wisconsin
