It is alleged that several companies failed to protect their workers, and in some cases actively endangered them, during catastrophic flooding in Valencia, Spain in late October 2024. In November 2024, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre contacted all five named companies for their response to the allegations. Uber Eats, Mercadona, Glovo and IKEA responded. Full responses are linked to on this page, with extracts included in the text below. It was not possible for the Resource Centre to identify the company operating the nursing home referred to in the Jacobin article; if a response is reported or received in the future, this page will be updated accordingly.

It is alleged that Spanish supermarket giant Mercadona claimed flooded towns ‘were fine’, and decided to keep sending its workers out for deliveries, even after the national meteorological office issued a red alert for extreme weather that morning. This led to a driver having to be rescued by helicopter from the torrential floods that killed dozens. Mercadona did not respond directly to the report concerning the stranded driver, in its response to BHRRC, but stated that "all employees are well" and that "affected employees have been informed to prioritise what really matters (their families, homes…etc), with no [impact] to their salaries and without having to recover the time dedicated to this ...".

Food delivery workers for Glovo and Uber Eats were also allegedly forced to wade out into the floods in Valencia and other affected towns. According to a spokesperson for workers’ rights group Riders X Derechos, all three companies continued to operate, despite the clear danger, “causing many colleagues to risk their lives for €3 per order.” Glovo stated in its response to BHRRC that "When a safety risk arises, we close the app in affected areas. In different areas of the country, where couriers' safety was at risk, we restricted service and shut down operations". Uber Eats said: "the safety of couriers and drivers is a top priority. In Valencia, as in other areas affected by the recent floods like Barcelona, Albacete, or Cadiz, we shut down operations following the red alert issued by the local authorities. Prior to that, we sent communications to all couriers in the affected areas strongly advising them to prioritize their safety and avoid going online".

IKEA was criticised for allegedly leaving its warehouse workers “trapped” and because supervisors at an outlet had reportedly refused to let employees leave, even as floodwaters rose to dangerous levels, leaving many employees trapped overnight. IKEA stated in its response to the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre that the workers in question were in fact store workers, who had sheltered safely overnight on the upper floors of one of its buildings, and that the claims about supervisors refusing to let employees leave had been wrongly attributed to IKEA.

Inditex workers complained via a local trade union that they were not aware of the apocalyptic weather – and the danger it posed - because they are ‘forbidden to pick up their phones during their shifts.’ Inditex has not replied to the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre's request for comment.