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Irish Times
17-07-2025
- Irish Times
Garda raid on home of award-winning curry restaurant owner finds bank card in worker's name
A predawn Garda raid on the home of a leading restaurateur last December found personal documents belonging to a migrant chef who has said he was 'never made aware' of a debit card in his name, a tribunal has heard. Fahid Saleem, codirector of his family's award-winning Pakistani curry house group, Daata, told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) he had 'zero knowledge' that his wife had been given the documents belonging to the chef, her orphaned cousin Mohammad Usman Ghani. The WRC noted sworn evidence from Mr Ghani, a commis chef brought to Ireland on a work permit in 2023, that he knew nothing of a debit card for a bank account into which his wages were being paid, and only got access 'thanks to the guards'. The disclosures were made during a WRC hearing into a series of workplace rights claims by Mr Ghani against his former employer Mirha & Aliha Ltd, trading as Daata Restaurant, which have now been 'amicably resolved'. READ MORE Mr Ghani, who was represented by Sylwia Nowakoska and Pretty Ndawo of the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland, claimed his wages were 'withheld' while he was working at its takeaway and restaurant in Bray, Co Wicklow for 'about 70 hours a week'. He said company director Fahid Saleem 'was putting pressure on me all the time'. 'There were dishes I would make – he would say: 'Make it again, it's not okay', time and time, again and again,' he said. Mr Saleem would remind him 'again and again; your work permit is on us, your accommodation is from us', he said. In his evidence to the tribunal, Mr Saleem said: 'I treat all my staff… as part of my family, and I would never threaten, harass or bully or annoy any of them.' Mr Saleem said he went to significant expense to bring Mr Ghani, his wife's cousin, into Ireland in July 2023. Mr Ghani was taken in by his wife's family after the deaths of his parents when he was 'very young', the witness said. He said he 'would not be able to get the orders out' in the takeaway if he was forcing Mr Ghani to cook meals 'again and again'. He denied threatening to deport Mr Ghani or 'put him out of the country' and said that would be 'very stupid'. Mr Ghani said he decided on August 1st last year that he was not coming to work the next day after being told he faced being 'deported back to Pakistan' after making a 'small mistake' and being reprimanded for 'not working faster'. Mr Saleem said there was no 'altercation' that day and that he had simply asked Mr Ghani: 'Why are the orders not going out?'. He learned the following day that Mr Ghani was absent from the staff house owned by his younger sister, his codirector Aliha Saleem, he said. Bank account Mr Saleem said that before a bank account was opened in Mr Ghani's name, he gave the worker cash 'for the first couple of months' before bank transfers commenced. Adjudication officer Breiffni O'Neill said there had been 'no suggestion' during Mr Ghani's direct evidence that the worker 'gave any instruction to transfer money to that account' and 'could not explain' how it got there. 'He said he was never made aware at any stage in the immediate aftermath of the account being opened of any card. The first he was made aware was when he got access to the bank account, thanks to the guards,' Mr O'Neill said. Susan Jones, instructed by Jones Magee Solicitors, for the company, submitted that this had to be considered a 'credibility issue' for the worker and said she had witnesses who could testify to Mr Ghani 'operating his bank card'. Mr Saleem said he was not aware of any allegation of money being 'withheld' from Mr Ghani until after December 6th last, when there was a 6.30am 'Garda raid' on his house in Greystones. Mr Saleem said his wife explained to him afterwards that Mr Ghani left 'all his documents' at the company house. These ended up at Mr Saleem's home after Mr Ghani's ex-colleagues tried and failed to return them – and left them with his wife 'for safe keeping', he said. 'I had zero knowledge of this arrangement,' he said. On the working time claims, Mr Saleem said Mr Ghani 'would work six days a week' but had time to take breaks and had access to the restaurant premises before work to cook his own meals. Mr Ghani also claimed for pay in lieu for working public holidays, including Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day in 2023. Mr Saleem's evidence was: 'We don't open on 25th, 26th, 27th December.' Mr O'Neill put it to him that he had signed off on a time sheet that recorded Mr Ghani working those days. 'It might have been an oversight on my part,' Mr Saleem said. Mr O'Neill then turned to the respondent's barrister and said: 'Ms Jones, you might need to reflect on your position overnight and talk to your counterpart in the morning.' Mr O'Neill did not resume the public hearings when the parties met on Thursday at Lansdowne House in Dublin. Migrant Rights Council of Ireland said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that matters had been 'amicably resolved' following talks. The respondent's legal team declined to comment. The business, founded in Bray in 1999 by Mr Saleem's parents, has four restaurants in north Co Wicklow and south Co Dublin, and is preparing to open its fifth in Sandymount at the end of the month.
Bloomberg
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
UK Moves to Ban NDAs to Hide Misconduct Cases, Guardian Reports
The UK government is moving to ban employers deploying nondisclosure agreements to muzzle workers who have been victims of misconduct on the job, the Guardian reported on Monday. Under the reforms being prepared as part of broader employee rights legislation by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government, any NDA that tried to head off complaints of workplace discrimination or harassment would be unenforceable, the newspaper reported.
News.com.au
05-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Boss under fire after texts to pregnant employee revealed
An awkward text exchange between a pregnant employee and her boss over maternity leave has sparked outrage online. UK career expert Ben Askins, known for calling out toxic workplace behaviour on social media, shared the exchange with his followers, branding the employer 'one of the top three of the worst bosses I've come across'. The TikTok video, which has been viewed nearly 590,000 times, features Ben reading aloud the highly uncomfortable text conversation. It all began when the employee messaged her manager to confirm receipt of her email about taking maternity leave from February. The boss' response immediately raised eyebrows. 'I saw it, and I wanted to talk to you about it. Is there any way you'd consider reducing how long you want to take? If you are sure you are going to go ahead with it, would you be open to discussing it all? I am just a bit worried about the costs from our side,' the boss said. Taken aback, the woman tried to explain why she wanted to take her full, legally entitled leave — even offering to help ease the transition for her replacement. 'Oh OK, um I was kind of hoping to take as much time as possible. This is my first child and I wanted to get as used to being a parent as possible, especially as my family lives quite far away,' she replied. 'I will ensure all my responsibilities are handed over seamlessly and help interview for mat cover but I really do want to take the full amount.' But her boss doubled down, insisting her leave would place a 'burden' on the small company. 'The challenge is that this is a small company, and it's quite a burden to have to pay both your mat leave and your mat cover. I am just not sure how we can cope.' Remaining polite, the woman stood her ground. 'I appreciate that but this isn't fair to put on me, I am happy to support but I am well within my rights to do this,' the employee said. 'I will try and support however I can, make sure everything is in place for a smooth handover and can also be on call for emergencies if that helps? 'Is my pregnancy going to be a problem for my role in the company?' Sensing he may have gone too far, the boss back-pedalled. 'Not at all! Your pregnancy is absolutely fine by me, we are a family company.' But he couldn't resist adding another guilt trip: 'Just not ideal timing for me that is all. But if you are not going to help out and reduce the time then nothing really further for us to talk about I guess.' Ben was appalled, telling viewers the exchange was 'disgusting'. 'He's trying to use guilt to basically get her to kind of waive her rights … because you can then sort of go, 'Oh no, she agreed with it,'' he said. 'That is not her f***ing problem, that is your problem. If she's not an equity holder, she's not a director in the business, it's not her company, that is your problem.' Ben then praised the employee for making a 'reasonable' request, even going above and beyond to offer extra help despite being entitled to her full leave. The video has since been flooded with furious comments, with many calling out the 'manipulative' boss and others even suggesting legal action. 'This is not her problem,' said one viewer. 'This is a lawsuit waiting to happen,' said another. 'She should not have to explain herself,' wrote a third. It seems the incident struck a chord because many had similar horror stories. 'I had a line manager refuse to discuss it with me because 'your baby could still die right up until the end,'' shared one user. 'My old manager tried to convince me to have an abortion … they wondered why I didn't want to go back after having my baby,' wrote another. In Australia, the Fair Work Act guarantees eligible employees up to 12 months' unpaid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service. Some also qualify for government-funded parental leave pay or employer-funded leave — sometimes both. And as many pointed out, maternity leave isn't a 'favour' — it's the law. 'Wow …. save this, go to an employment lawyer. Get settlement, enjoy!' one commenter advised. 'This is a slam dunk mat discrimination case. Employers need to understand that claim awards are potentially unlimited,' added another.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Boss sparks outrage over shocking texts to employee's maternity leave request: 'Is this a joke?'
An uncomfortable text message exchange between a pregnant employee and her boss regarding a request for maternity leave has sparked an online firestorm. UK Career Expert Ben Askins regularly shares social media videos calling out questionable workplace behaviour. But a recent video the author and expert posted recounting an 'ugly' response to a pregnant woman's 'reasonable' maternity leave request saw him branding her employer as among 'the top three of the worst bosses I've come across'. Ben shared the text exchange to his TikTok account in a video that's since been viewed almost 590,000 times. The messages started with the pregnant employee confirming that her manager had received her 'email about maternity leave requests for February'. The boss replied: 'I saw it, and I wanted to talk to you about it. Is there any way you'd consider reducing how long you want to take? If you are sure you are going to go ahead with it, would you be open to discussing it all. I am just a bit worried about the costs from our side.' The female employee - clearly stunned by her boss's reaction - then tried to justify her reason for taking her legally-entitled maternity leave. She even offered to be as helpful as possible to the person who would be temporarily replacing her. She replied: 'Oh ok, um I was kind of hoping to take as much time as possible. This is my first child and wanted to get as used to being as parent as possible, especially as my family lives quite far away.' A boss has been slammed online for his guilt-laden response to a female employee's reasonable request for maternity leave 'I will ensure all my responsibilities are handed over seamlessly and help interview for mat cover but I really do want to take the full amount,' she continued. However, the uncompromising boss continued to badger his pregnant employee over the 'burden' she was allegedly causing by taking maternity leave. 'The challenge is that this is a small company, and it's quite a burden to have to pay both your mat leave and your mat cover. I am just not sure how we can cope,' he replied. By this point, the pregnant woman continued to politely advocate for her 'rights' – even making generous offers to assist her employer while she's away on leave. She wrote: 'I appreciate that but this isn't fair to put on me, I am happy to support but I am well within my rights to do this.' 'I will try and support however I can, make sure everything is in place for a smooth handover and can also be on call for emergencies if that helps?' The worried employee ended the message: 'Is my pregnancy going to be a problem for my role in the company?' Most likely aware that he was wading into precarious employment law territory, the boss at this stage tried to downplay the discussion. 'Not at all! Your pregnancy is absolutely fine by me, we are a family company,' he replied. Nevertheless, he continued to guilt his employee about the maternity leave request. He continued: '[J]ust not ideal timing for me that is all. But if you are not going to help out and reduce the time then nothing really further for us to talk about I guess.' Employment expert Ben, who is reading aloud the text messages in the social media video, is unable to bite his tongue at various points during the re-telling. One of his interjections dissected the 'disgusting' behaviour of the manager. Ben was adamant that the boss in this scenario was 'fully aware of what he's doing'. 'He's trying to use guilt to basically get her to kind of waive her rights [to take the full length of maternity leave]… because you can then sort of go, 'Oh no, she agreed with it'. The workplace commentator added that the woman's request was entirely 'reasonable' and noted that she went above and beyond with offers of additional assistance as far as recruitment for her replacement and handover. Ultimately, Ben said it was not the woman's 'problem' that the business may struggle financially with her leave entitlement - and that it's her right as a company employee to take maternity leave. 'That is not her f***ing problem, that is your problem,' he said. 'If she's not an equity holder, she's not a director in the business, it's not her company, that is a YOUR problem.' The video has attracted nearly a thousand comments – many of them outraged by the employer's unconscionable behaviour. 'This is the kind of boss that makes you start looking for another job while you're on leave,' read one reply. 'She should not even have to justify anything,' added another. 'The gaslighting and guilt is beyond diabolical,' chimed in a third. Many of the comments were also aggrieved by the manipulative language used by the manager in his text messages. One commenter wrote: '"Not ideal timing for me." Yea, I mean sheesh, couldn't think of your boss while conceiving your baby?' Another boldly questioned: 'Did they just suggest she get an abortion for the sake of the company's bottom line?!?' A third added: '"If you're not going to help out" is an insane thing to say especially after she already stated she's more than happy to arrange cover and everything else before she leaves.' It was unclear from the messages what jurisdiction the worker was in, but many commenters noted that maternity leave was a legal employment right in several countries – including Australia – and that she may have grounds to take legal action against her employer. 'Wow….. save this, go to an employer lawyer. Get settlement, enjoy!' read one reply. Another wrote: 'This is a slam dunk mat discrimination case. Employers need to understand that claim awards are potentially unlimited.' Unfortunately, it also appeared that this exchange was not an isolated incident with many commenters piping up to share their own horror story responses to previous maternity leave requests. 'I had a line manager refuse to discuss it with me because "your baby could still die right up until the end"', read one jaw-dropping comment. 'My old manager tried to convince me to have an abortion… they wondered why I didn't want to go back after having my baby,' read another wild reply. Worryingly, comments on the TikTok video saw other female workers recount their own stories about the reaction to their requests for maternity leave (Image: stock photo) Another person wrote: 'My old boss tried to tell me I only got half maternity time with my second child cos I'd already done the full maternity bonding time with my first.' While many comments were outraged by the boss's responses, there were a small chorus claiming to understand where the employer was coming from. 'Whilst he's being improper, you can't avoid the fact that small companies will avoid employing women of childbearing age to reduce costs,' read one reply. 'For small businesses, maternity leave - even if protected by law - can have a massive impact on the company, especially if it's not performing well financially,' read part of another comment. Another contributed: '[S]o many companies like this don't like hiring young women because the potential for taking maternity leave is high.' A disheartened female worker responded to the viral video with a defeated comment that attracted over 1,600 likes. The woman wrote: 'We're judged by society if we don't want kids and then punished by work when we do. We're judged for working 9-5 and having a career with kids but then also judged if we stay home full time with kids. Women can't win.' In Australia, the Paid Parental Leave scheme is managed by Services Australia and provides financial support to eligible working parents to take time off work to care for a newborn or recently adopted child. Some employees will receive parental leave payments from the Australian Government Parental Leave Pay, while others will receive e mployer funded parental leave payments. In some instances, a person may receive both. According to the Fair Work Act, all employees in Australia are eligible for up to 12 months unpaid parental leave if they have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with their employer.
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Amazon's Return-to-Office Mandate Sparks Disability Complaints
Inc. 's hard-line stance on getting disabled employees to return to the office has sparked a backlash, with workers alleging the company is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as their rights to collectively bargain. At least two employees have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, federal agencies that regulate working conditions. One of the workers said they provided the EEOC with a list of 18 'similarly situated' employees to emphasize that their experience isn't isolated and to help federal regulators with a possible investigation.
