Dear Nairalanders,
I just want to share this my career story.

I took this offer from a one-man establishment sometime July,last year.

The day I resumed, the staff who recruited me( she was acting as a HR) resigned. 2-3 months later, another resigned after returning from a sick leave, but this time they have hired a professional HR personnel.

Back to my case. First month, I was paid till third month. The trouble began in November. We were all paid half of our salaries with no written/unwritten communication. Infact, the new HR was not even aware the MD has paid. Anything payment, MD sidelines her.

We reached out to HR,and she wrote a mail on behalf of the company citing business challenges as the reason,promising the complete payment will come in the next week.

On 8th Dec to be precise, MD called an official meeting telling us that there's a new policy: Henceforth, we'll all be receiving 50% basic salary and 50% target-based on some KPIs. We asked about the Nov balance, & he said we will get it. After the meeting, he sent in a mail to officially put the new policy on record.
Of course I can't tell him how to run his business, but I felt some things were wrong. I only told him that I will like to see the new KPIs we will be measured against.

We waited till 20th Dec, No KPI document, No Nov salary balance. I, and two other wrote a mail individually about the doc &bal. On 22nd, an individual virtual meeting was scheduled with the HR, MD & the individual staff. When it got to my turn, I table the matter and he said it's the HR who has not prepared d doc. Immediately the HR sent me a WhatsApp DM that MD is lying against her. I then asked about my Nov salary bal, he said it's dependent on Dec KPI. With that being said, he ordered the HR to end the call, but I insisted I should be granted audience that this is not right. What is the correlation between btw Nov salary & Dec KPI. As I was speaking, he got annoyed and left the call. Few hours later, I got my termination letter stating that I broke the "work culture".

I, just like the rest, was already fade up with the toxic environment. I was directed to return the company's property(laptop&phone) that same day(22 Dec) cos since Nov we went fully remote. I was told all my payment will be processed. I later returned the properties,and was expecting payment. Instead I got a mail 7 days after that the fairly used laptop I work with & directed to drop with the facility manager cos our office is a shared office was not in good shape😀. How? They said some parts chipped out. And as such I will pay for the laptop (over 160k)😳🙆 & fee to dispatch it to me.
But these were all lies, the laptop was fine (attached is the laptop).

I said I will not pay cos to me, nothing happened to the laptop. I don't even use it for personal stuffs cos I have mine & other gadgets. This is just a ploy to avoid paying me.

The HR knew the truth, but she can't talk cos she is afraid of loosing her job. I waited & waited but no response to my email and no payment. I contacted d HR, she advised that I should just play along and accept whatever am given. I did and wrote another mail telling them to go ahead with d deduction & pay me the balance. I waited & waited again, no reaction. At a point, the HR got tired🤣😀.

I then decided to contact MD himself only to discover he has blocked me on WhatsApp😳. He has refused to pick my phone calls. If I call with another line, he will pick but won't alter a word.

At a point, my colleagues advised I call him out on social media or seek a human right lawyer😜. Immediately I left, trouble started. My colleague resigned this feb, she was told to pay 1month in lieu. They're still dragging that one. He sent two others notice of contract termination citing inability to meet their KPIs.

Few weeks ago, the company dispatched the said laptop to me only for them to ask me to send it back again immediately for it to be formatted but I declined. I was like: this same laptop had been under your care for 2months, but you didn't format it rather you dispatched it to me willingly, even without paying me. Why telling me to send it back again in just few hours after dispatch. I don't know what they are up to again. I will send it back, only if I get my payments.

Right now, I just feel like letting him go with my payments & allow God vindicate me and fight my battles.

But my question is: From professional HR practice or legal point, have I defaulted in any way? I want to learn cos the matter is still ongoing.

Thank you all for reading.

Will read it later.

Nigerians...mostly wicked and heartless people. Na power never reach many people hand,that is why you think sey dem be better person.

Who still uses this kind of ancient laptop for official business.

This company, what are they into? What were you doing for them?

By the way, your dismissal was unjust and refusal to pay you fully is a criminal offence. Unfortunately, you can do little to nothing because you are in Nigeria.

But pray they report you to the police for refusing to release the laptop, then you can table your case to the police and get a lawyer in an attempt to get justice.

First of all, I need you to understand that your employment is/was a contract.

Were you issued an offer letter?
What were the terms of employment?
If mid way, your employer is coming up with KPI, there should be documentation which clearly outlines what the KPIs are and you're to sign the document which shows that you agree.
Was this done?

What does your offer letter say about termination from either party?

That said, you have a very solid case for breach of contractual agreement.

I would have said you should get yourself a lawyer but the way I dey look the matter so, you may not have enough to see the case through.

If you don't return the laptop, he'll involve the police and say it's theft. We've heard several cases like this and it doesn't end up well.

My advise?
Even though say money hard. Get a lawyer. Except of course the balance wwey you dey fight for no reach anything.

Immatex:

Who still uses this kind of ancient laptop for official business.

This company, what are they into? What were you doing for them?

By the way, your dismissal was unjust and refusal to pay you fully is a criminal offence. Unfortunately, you can do little to nothing because you are in Nigeria.

But pray they report you to the police for refusing to release the laptop, then you can table your case to the police and get a lawyer in an attempt to get justice.

I felt the same way about the laptop o. I have been managing it while I was with them. They have fixed it twice over this period. To my surprise, I was told I will pay for this near-scrap when the contract was terminated. The mail claimed the physical parts were damaged beyond repairs which was no true as you can see from the image

richmondefosa:
First of all, I need you to understand that your employment is/was a contract.

Were you issued an offer letter?
What were the terms of employment?
If mid way, your employer is coming up with KPI, there should be documentation which clearly outlines what the KPIs are and you're to sign the document which shows that you agree.
Was this done?

What does your offer letter say about termination from either party?

That said, you have a very solid case for breach of contractual agreement.

I would have said you should get yourself a lawyer but the way I dey look the matter so, you may not have enough to see the case through.

If you don't return the laptop, he'll involve the police and say it's theft. We've heard several cases like this and it doesn't end up well.

My advise?
Even though say money hard. Get a lawyer. Except of course the balance wwey you dey fight for no reach anything.

I was issued an offer letter. They have violated the clause of the letter, but I do not have the means to fight them legally vis-a-vis the salary in question. He had systematically reduced all my payment by enforcing the KPI policy which we never signed.

Also, I never refused to return the laptop. I had earlier returned it, but this time I insisted they should pay me my balance. They claimed I damaged the laptop and I must pay. It was no true but I accepted for peace to reign. They dispatched the laptop to me on their own o without formatting it; now can it still be said that the laptop is company's property or mine?
Am I really withholding the company's property since the company forced me to buy-back the property(laptop) with part of my salary?