Fired for no good reason
I have just been fired from my job for what I think is a petty reason. It was the first mistake I made in three years on the job and I was not given any warning. What are my options?
Auntie’s Answer: Being fired is never fun, but it would be helpful to know the reason. As it stands in the Labour Law, you can be fired due to such things as misconduct or failing to perform your duties in a satisfactory way. However, and this is a pretty big however, your employer is required to give you a warning and a time period to correct the behaviour before you can be terminated.
But if the offence is particularly grave, you can be fired immediately. For more details, click this link to the Labour Law and go to Part VII on Unfair Dismissal. Of course, finding the relevant section and actually being able to decipher what all the legal jargon means are two different things, so I wish you good luck with that part of the exercise.
Once you have navigated your way through the law and you conclude you have been dismissed unfairly, you can complain to the Labour Tribunal. The first step in that process is to go to the Department of Labour & Pensions (2/F Midtown Plaza, Elgin Avenue, tel: 945-8960). You will be asked to fill out a form. If an officer is available they will see you then, but otherwise you will need to make an appointment. I can’t offer any insight as to how long you might have to wait to see an officer as a walk-in but bringing a book might be a good idea.
Several local law firms employ lawyers who can appear on your behalf at the tribunal if you can afford to hire an attorney.
Worth noting is that the Labour Relations Bill that is being considered will contain changes to the law concerning unfair dismissal, so please read that through once it is enacted.
Category: Ask Auntie
