> any justification is just going to point to some made up excuse or insanely complicated internal policy designed for obfuscation.

I don't see how you can claim that without seeing all the records in question. Maybe it was deliberately obfuscated, maybe someone just screwed up. Guess what, human error is a thing. In fact, the article itself showcases a bunch of human errors -- those of people not knowing that their employer is required by law to provide claim files within 30 days.