Anguish over 'brutal' firings

Several sacked workers told the Bermuda Sun they had been marched off the premises by security — often after years of dedicated service to their firm.

One employee told us he felt “humiliated” as he packed his belongings in front of a -security guard. Another was called to Human Resources to be told she had been let go and when she returned to her desk her computer had been taken away and replaced with a -cardboard box.

Martin Law, of the Bermuda Employers Council, said those cases were most likely at the extreme end of the spectrum and involved firms who were desperate to protect important financial information from sabotage.

He said many employers agonized for months over if and how to let people go. Many more, he said, kept employees on at their own expense.

Union officials, meanwhile, called for employers to consult staff and the union and to exhaust all other options before letting people go.

When redundancies are the only way, says BPSU president Kevin Grant, they should be handled with dignity and respect.

“It’s the worst thing to have security come and take people off the premises like that person is a criminal.

“We’ve heard of several cases where people have worked for a company for years and they are escorted out the door.”

He said he understood that companies had to protect themselves against sabotage but insisted people should not be humiliated when they are let-go.

He urged employers to work more closely with the union to find other ways to cut costs and to save people’s jobs.

“Everyone has to make cuts one way or the other, that is the situation we are in.

“The unfortunate thing is that when an employer is looking to improve his bottom line the easiest way to do that is salaries. There are so many other ways to cut expenses and we want to try and work with employers to discuss those options before making redundancies.”

He said when someone is made redundant it should not come as a surprise to them or the union because all other avenues should have been discussed.

Mr Law said many employers were being extremely creative in a bid to keep people in work.

“Those kind of situations where people are marched off the premises – that’s not the normal way to go. It’s the nature of some jobs, for financial or confidentiality reasons, that when someone is let go the relationship has to end there and then.

Millions  at stake

“I’m not sure what can be done about that.”

He said some companies feared that sabotage from an angry employee could cost them millions of dollars.

But he insisted most employers were working hard to keep people in jobs.

“I know of employers who really struggle with this issue.

“There is a lot of soul searching that goes on. A lot of employers out there go through hell with these type of situations.

“Some are spending their own money to keep people on because they don’t want to let people go.”

He said many more were working out compromise agreements with staff for reduced hours, overtime pay or other cost-cutting measures.

But he cautioned that redundancies were an unfortunate reality for Bermuda.

“We’ve got a shrinking economy and some firms just can’t afford to hire the same number of staff.”

Counselling

The Employee Assistance Programme, which has relationships with more than 220 firms in Bermuda, urged employees and those made redundant to take advantage of its counselling services.

Doris DeCosta, executive director of the service, said it could advise employers on how to let people go with dignity and respect.

And she said they could provide counselling to help newly jobless Bermudians cope with the stress and offer practical advice on money management and finding new employment.

“Redundancy counselling is included as part of our relationship with the company but not enough people take advantage of it.

“It can be very traumatic to lose your job and it is important for both the employer and the employee that it is handled right.”