The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER Baha Mar casino dealer who was fired after a dispute over compassionate leave says her termination was excessive, and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell is urging the resort to reconsider its decision.

The former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, was dismissed in August after Human Resources officials learned she had not travelled to her aunt’s funeral in June despite having received compassionate leave. She said she initially told officials she had attended, but later explained she stayed in The Bahamas because she lacked the funds to travel.

“They’re saying basically because of dishonesty because when she asked me, I said I travelled but I wasn’t clear on what she had asked me,” she said.

Mr Mitchell raised concern about the firing during the House of Assembly debate yesterday, calling for the matter to be re-investigated.

“It’s a real skill to be a dealer in these casinos, and you get laid off in this country, what are you going to do for work? And the description of why she was dismissed appears to me to be so personal that someone ought to intervene to see if this could be reversed,” he said.

The former employee said the dispute originated after she questioned why she had not received her quarterly attendance incentive in July. The incentive, she said, is awarded to workers with perfect attendance.

Shortly after, Human Resources summoned her to a meeting to question her about the three days of compassionate leave and whether she had attended the funeral. She admitted that she first told them she had travelled, saying she did so “not thinking properly” while grieving.

She said the HR representative cited company policy allowing officials to request travel documents and asked whether she could provide any. She said she told them she could not, but explained that she had attended her aunt’s memorial service held locally a few days earlier.

She said the HR representative replied: “Okay, well, we would have to just take the day back from you, because the third day is actually for travel.” She responded that she was unaware of that policy and explained that she had not travelled due to financial reasons.

She said she was sent back to her shift, but soon after was instructed to report to the investigations department to provide a statement. She said she explained again why she could not travel for the funeral and that the investigator told her the statement was “just for record keeping and that it shouldn’t lead to termination.”

Despite this, she said the HR manager later called and placed her on suspension for a week. When she returned, she was told she had been terminated.

She said she appealed the decision, arguing that dismissal was disproportionate given her record, but the company upheld it and told her she could reapply in a year’s time.

“For the past three to four years, I never call in sick, never left early, anything like that,” she said.

She said she has been out of work since, taking things one day at a time.

Mr Mitchell said he has written to Baha Mar officials about the matter. Resort representatives were unavailable for comment yesterday but pledged to respond to the allegations at a later date.