Employees dismissed this week "without notice" by British Fidelity Assurance Limited are up in arms, expressing shock and reacting to an inference that they may have been terminated because of fraud, stealing and lack of performance.
A company executive said Friday that some of the employees may have been connected to fraud, as was stated in a letter to two clients. But the executive said not all of the eight employees fired may have been involved in fraud.
The insurance company's Chief Executive Officer Claudius Dacon was unavailable for comment Friday, but he said in a release that, "For some time now we have been planning to restructure our operations and upgrade the salaries of our employees at British Fidelity.
"We also took the decision to terminate a few individuals who were unable to acquire new skills that were necessary in the demanding and changing environment within which
But the employees say the implication that they may have been involved in "ripping off" the company is wrong and puts the entire group that was fired in a bad light.
"Defamation of character is a hell of a thing," said Bernadette Pinder, who worked at the insurance company on Mount Royal Avenue for 16 years. "I've never taken as much as a paper clip from here."
Ms. Pinder said she accepted the termination, even though she was saddened by it.
But she said she was hurt by the charge that some in the group were dismissed because of fraud and stealing.
"If I were to go today or tomorrow to look for a job and they ask me, 'Ms. Pinder where was your last employment?' and I say 'With British Fidelity,' they would want to know if I were one of the eight who got fired for stealing and that is not so," she said.
The letter to the employees blamed the downsizing on an economic lag worsened by the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The letter informed the employees Wednesday that the terminations would become effective immediately.
Another employee, Demetria Moss, who worked as an underwriter, said the workers were aware that the company was experiencing financial difficulties, and that executives advised if business hadn't picked up, they would have to lay off some workers.
But she said Wednesday's termination came as a shock.
"It's hard because I have a car payment at the end of the month," said the single mother. "How am I going to pay my car payment? And them my daughter is in preschool, plus she is still on milk, and on pampers. How am I going to get these stuff?"
She said she was upset that no notice was given and that the termination caught her off guard.
This sentiment was expressed by another employee.
"It was a terrible day," said the employee who had been with company for 26 years. "Twenty-six years. Why would I want to steal?"
"It's going to affect me financially with a son just going into COB and a daughter getting ready to graduate, car payments and that sort of thing. It's going to affect me greatly."
She said a number of her colleagues who remain at the company cried when they learnt of the terminations.
Mr. Dacon's release said out of an administrative staff of 50, seven were terminated.
He said the company will be hiring five new employees to fill these places. The release also said that all remaining employees will receive salary increases effective November 1.
"We have appointed three new supervisors in our Claims, Underwriting and Premium billing and collections department respectively," the release said.
Mr. Dacon said these changes will strengthen the organization and will allow the company to create greater value for customers, employees and shareholders.
"The levels of service that our customers have grown accustomed to will not be adversely affected by the changes; in fact we expect that they will improve in the long run," the release said.
By Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
