Please I would like the opinion of someone with knowledge of labour law on this matter.


I work with the Faith Academy Network of Schools. I have been here for five years. In this time, there has been no form of staff welfare whatsoever. No HMO, no bonuses. However, we are paid for leave and granted a two-week leave in the year. These are of no issue to me because I was consoled by the fact that the organisation had stipulated at the time of my employment, that she would pay a severance benefit at the end of my service period with them. This severance benefit is calculated as one's gross pay multiplied by the number of years spent in the organisation.
Recently, a new development has come up. This development allows that the organisation would deduct the amount she has contributed to a staff's pension fund from the total amount of his/her severance package and pay the difference. For example, if a staff was due N300, 000 as severance package, the organisation would deduct whatever she has contributed to the staff's pension fund since he/she began to work there. Rather than pay N300, 000, she would pay the difference of the pension contributions. I would like this to be taken up as there are a lot of staff who have put in up to 15 years of their time with the hope of retiring on the severance benefits. I wish to know if this is legal. Added to this is the fact that some of those who resigned since last year, have not been paid up till now. Is this the order of things?

This is robbery from your employer.

Have someone external send a mail to your employer, warning against their planned move to deduct their contributions towards the staff pension from the severance package, put Pencom in copy of this email.

Maya4eva:
Please I would like the opinion of someone with knowledge of labour law on this matter.


I work with the Faith Academy Network of Schools. I have been here for five years. In this time, there has been no form of staff welfare whatsoever. No HMO, no bonuses. However, we are paid for leave and granted a two-week leave in the year.

The same Faith Academy under Living Faith ministries?
The severance package after putting in over 15 years is N300,000 How much is your salary if i may ask.

I have heard the gist from staff working under their other banners ie Covenant University, Living Faith etc their salaries are terrible. University graduates are offered less N50,000 (net) with no other form of benefits/bonus (apart from 13th month and leave allowance which is roughly around the same amount) not for janitorial jobs oo, for jobs in professional capacities.

Same story no HMO, no bonus for professionals under these their sister organizations. Most people turn down their jobs especially their own graduates, imagine being offered a job paying less N50,000 (net) per month after graduating from their school whose tuition is over N1 million per session with no other significant entitlement, in 2019 for that matter. That’s why some of their staff take any illegal opportunity they can get to profit.

This is not to bring the organization to disrepute, I want to believe their authorities are not aware of this eye-sore or rather shameful remuneration/benefit system they run.

They should please do something about it, I don’t even want to imagine my enemy working and retiring as a professional (accountant, HR, auditor, lawyer etc) under this their system. He/she would have “nothing” to fall back on. Terrible.

Cc: Seun, Lalasticlala, Mynd44, HigherEd, CodeTemplar

SoftBall:


The same Faith Academy under Living Faith ministries?
The severance package after putting in over 15 years is N300,000 How much is your salary if i may ask.

I have heard the gist from staff working under their other banners ie Covenant University, Living Faith etc their salaries are terrible. University graduates are offered less N50,000 (net) with no other form of benefits/bonus (apart from 13th month and leave allowance which is roughly around the same amount) not for janitorial jobs oo, for jobs in professional capacities.

Same story no HMO, no bonus for professionals under these their sister organizations. Most people turn down their jobs especially their own graduates, imagine being offered a job paying less N50,000 (net) per month after graduating from their school whose tuition is over N1 million per session with no other significant entitlement, in 2019 for that matter. That’s why some of their staff take any illegal opportunity they can get to profit.

This is not to bring the organization to disrepute, I want to believe their authorities are not aware of this eye-sore or rather shameful remuneration/benefit system they run.

They should please do something about it, I don’t even want to imagine my enemy working and retiring as a professional (accountant, HR, auditor, lawyer etc) under this their system. He/she would have “nothing” to fall back on. Terrible.

Cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44, HigherEd, CodeTemplar

@ Softball.
Yes, it's the same Faith Academy. The 300k isn't for those who've worked up to 15 years. The severance package is calculated as the staff's salary at the time of retiring/resignation multiplied by the number of years put into service. At the time of my employment, I was placed on a salary scale of 63k (gross salary) and took 57k (net salary) after tax and pension deductions. I heard though that the salary may have been reviewed downwards in recent times. This new development is going to affect most, those who have put in long years in their service.

uboma:
This is robbery from your employer.

Have someone external send a mail to your employer, warning against their planned move to deduct their contributions towards the staff pension from the severance package, put Pencom in copy of this email.

Please, I'd like to know how to go about this?

Maya4eva:

Recently, a new development has come up. This development allows that the organisation would deduct the amount she has contributed to a staff's pension fund from the total amount of his/her severance package and pay the difference. For example, if a staff was due N300, 000 as severance package, the organisation would deduct whatever she has contributed to the staff's pension fund since he/she began to work there. Rather than pay N300, 000, she would pay the difference of the pension contributions. I would like this to be taken up as there are a lot of staff who have put in up to 15 years of their time with the hope of retiring on the severance benefits. I wish to know if this is legal. Added to this is the fact that some of those who resigned since last year, have not been paid up till now. Is this the order of things?

What the organization is trying to do is get back the “Employer Contribution” they made towards your pension. Which is illegal because it is required by law.

Do what @uboma suggested (email or letter), which ever make sure PenCom is in copy. I would have prefer you wait for whoever in charge to carry out his plans so you can have evidence.

Maya4eva:

At the time of my employment, I was placed on a salary scale of 63k (gross salary) and took 57k (net salary) after tax and pension deductions. I heard though that the salary may have been reviewed downwards in recent times. This new development is going to affect most, those who have put in long years in their service.

Reviewed downwards for an organization where billions of naira go in and out their remuneration system is terrible enough. It is obvious that staff welfare isn’t a top priority in their organization. It could even be one misguided fellow put in charge of these things that is looking for how to embezzle money.

In that environment, people would see something very wrong and act like nothing is happening until you raise alarm and it reaches the top brass (you know who), smh.

I am not sure if this is legal. It doesn't sound so. I think you should just lawyer up. But only do that if you have found a new job. Good luck.

Also consider mailing the education commission of the church over this matter. They are on the 4th floor of Covenant university senate building.

Maya4eva:





@ Softball.
Yes, it's the same Faith Academy. The 300k isn't for those who've worked up to 15 years. The severance package is calculated as the staff's salary at the time of retiring/resignation multiplied by the number of years put into service. At the time of my employment, I was placed on a salary scale of 63k (gross salary) and took 57k (net salary) after tax and pension deductions. I heard though that the salary may have been reviewed downwards in recent times. This new development is going to affect most, those who have put in long years in their service.

Kindly, answer the following questions pls.
1.
Pls Is this the same faith academy owned by living faith church with branches all over Nigeria?
2. Are ur staff unionized as expected by law.

3. what is the percentage taken for ur contributory pension for both the employee n employer side.

pls note that a visit to the school may not be very helpful if we don't have facts n ur name or branch is not what I mean by fact.

In such visit the Organization knows the law n will do everything to cover it so provide as much information as u remember.

Our law exist though very weak but frowns at wickedness. Slavery of fellow citizens.

Make I teach you small,
If you leave without due process,
That is-
1. You signed a bond that you would not leave before a stipulated time.
2.you stole from the organisation and was sacked.
3.you resigned without giving 1month in lieu of notice,
the organisation has the right to collect their contributions to you
But if
1.you were dropped from work legitimately
2.you die(God forbid)
3.you retire at the stipulated retirement age.
The organisation can't and won't deduct the contributions.
However having a job in Nigeria is a miracle my dear.
Most organisations don't even have HMO or pension plan.
Dem go just give you your pay and that's all.
If that is not your last bustop, make sure you give your employerproper notice of resignation.never resign without due process.
Severance pay is also on your basic not your gross.
Except your employer is magnanimous

Thanks very much OP. I am currently in this same condition as yours. For more than a year that I left, they have still not pay me my benefits. It has been one story to another. Recently I was asked to provide my pension statement and I discovered I was even shortchanged in that....for a whole one year nothing was remitted to my pension and am currently not in that same town where I served to pursue it. The whole thing just tire me....and this na my church oooo. Pray God touch their heart to do the needful. It's just some over zealous persons acting in the education commission's office that are responsible for all this.

SammieRexx:
Thanks very much OP. I am currently in this same condition as yours. For more than a year that I left, they have still not pay me my benefits. It has been one story to another. Recently I was asked to provide my pension statement and I discovered I was even shortchanged in that....for a whole one year nothing was remitted to my pension and am currently not in that same town where I served to pursue it. The whole thing just tire me....and this na my church oooo. Pray God touch their heart to do the needful. It's just some over zealous persons acting in the education commission'scommission's office that are responsible for all this.

Wawu. Now this is front page worthy. The world needs to see this.

This school under the Living faith ministries charges well over N200,000 per term. Yet no HMO, pay staff peanuts, still owe them on top and they want to cheat you out of your entitlement. Even the devil would be amazed after reading all these.

What was i even expecting, staff in Covenant University earn peanuts, the ones working un Living Faith also earn peanuts. This is a total disappointment for what the organization stands for.

All I can I say is that despite the hype, I know several senior academic staff of Covenant who took off to LASU. And their stories about what goes on in Covenant are not palatable at all. I have also been to CU for an academic conference and have interacted with senior academic staff on campus. My verdict: Not all that glitters is gold!

SoftBall:


Wawu. Now this is front page worthy. The world needs to see this.

This school under the Living faith ministries charges well over N200,000 per term. Yet no HMO, pay staff peanuts, still owe them on top and they want to cheat you out of your entitlement. Even the devil would be amazed after reading all these.

What was i even expecting, staff in Covenant University earn peanuts, the ones working un Living Faith also earn peanuts. This is a total disappointment for what the organization stands for.

They do not actually owe salaries and even this entitlement is usually paid within three months of termination of appointment. All of these is happening now cuz of the new sets of persons brought in to pilot the affairs of the school. It's really disheartening. Papa himself is not aware of all this. The fact is the salary is poor, the HMO and even condition of service changes from time to time

SammieRexx:

They do not actually owe salaries and even this entitlement is usually paid within three months of termination of appointment. All of these is happening now cuz of the new sets of persons brought in to pilot the affairs of the school. It's really disheartening. Papa himself is not aware of all this. The fact is the salary is poor, the HMO and even condition of service changes from time to time

@ SammyRex

I don't know where you served, but I can categorically tell you that I've been owed salaries for up to three months. In fact, I was recently owed salaries for the July, August and September. I was paid for July at the end of August and paid for August and September at about last week or so.

dbestuncle:


Kindly, answer the following questions pls.
1.
Pls Is this the same faith academy owned by living faith church with branches all over Nigeria?
2. Are ur staff unionized as expected by law.

3. what is the percentage taken for ur contributory pension for both the employee n employer side.

pls note that a visit to the school may not be very helpful if we don't have facts n ur name or branch is not what I mean by fact.

In such visit the Organization knows the law n will do everything to cover it so provide as much information as u remember.

Our law exist though very weak but frowns at wickedness. Slavery of fellow citizens.

@ dbestuncle

1. Yes, it is the same Faith Academy owned by Living Faith Church.

2. No, the staff isn't unionised as the management frowns at any kind of union, association or group within the organisation. Any act or action contrary to managerial stipulations is regarded as insubordination and would lead to a dismissal. The reason I could bring up this issue is because I recently resigned from the organisation. Else..... A lot of members of staff are suffering and smiling there. They're subject to a lot of oppression but cannot challenge the system because they need the job.

3. I can't even tell you how much is being contributed because they NEVER give payslips. I have only received payslips twice in the five years I worked there.

dadalicious:
Make I teach you small,
If you leave without due process,
That is-
1. You signed a bond that you would not leave before a stipulated time.
2.you stole from the organisation and was sacked.
3.you resigned without giving 1month in lieu of notice,
the organisation has the right to collect their contributions to you
But if
1.you were dropped from work legitimately
2.you die(God forbid)
3.you retire at the stipulated retirement age.
The organisation can't and won't deduct the contributions.
However having a job in Nigeria is a miracle my dear.
Most organisations don't even have HMO or pension plan.
Dem go just give you your pay and that's all.
If that is not your last bustop, make sure you give your employerproper notice of resignation.never resign without due process.
Severance pay is also on your basic not your gross.
Except your employer is magnanimous

@ dadalicious

I resigned properly and gave the requisite one month notice.
There was no bond of any sort at the point of entry.
Bros, to steal from this organisation, you have to be either an account personnel or an I.T person. Ordinary teachers don't have access to their money even though we know how much comes in.
If as you said, the severance package is calculated based on the basic salary....hm. Basic salary in Faith Academy is 18k....at least at the time I was employed. It's the other stuff they add on that beefs it up to something worth considering. As at the time I left, there was some noise being made about the need to increase the salary. I mean, the least fees per session for each student is at least almost half a million. And in my branch, there are over 900 students. But how come the deductions (taxes and pension) are made on the gross salary if the severance is supposed to be based on the basic? Isn't tax supposed to be P. A. Y. E? As at the time I resigned, my gross salary was 70k (I think, after 5 years of service) but I was taking home 64.4k net salary. How do you explain this? Oh. Did I also forget to mention that their operational manual dictates that the severance benefit is calculated as the staff's gross pay at the time of exit multiplied by the number of years of service?

HigherEd:
I am not sure if this is legal. It doesn't sound so. I think you should just lawyer up. But only do that if you have found a new job. Good luck.

Also consider mailing the education commission of the church over this matter. They are on the 4th floor of Covenant university senate building.

@ HigherEd

The problem with mailing the EC on this matter is that these stipulations came FROM the EC.

Maya4eva:




@ SammyRex

I don't know where you served, but I can categorically tell you that I've been owed salaries for up to three months. In fact, I was recently owed salaries for the July, August and September. I was paid for July at the end of August and paid for August and September at about last week or so.

Faith Academy Goshen Abuja. That's unlike the ministry. Something is not right somewhere

Maya4eva:




@ dbestuncle

1. Yes, it is the same Faith Academy owned by Living Faith Church.

2. No, the staff isn't unionised as the management frowns at any kind of union, association or group within the organisation. Any act or action contrary to managerial stipulations is regarded as insubordination and would lead to a dismissal. The reason I could bring up this issue is because I recently resigned from the organisation. Else..... A lot of members of staff are suffering and smiling there. They're subject to a lot of oppression but cannot challenge the system because they need the job.

3. I can't even tell you how much is being contributed because they NEVER give payslips. I have only received payslips twice in the five years I worked there.

Where did u serve sir. Pay slip is usually given when one request for it.i resigned a more than a year ago