Iris Williams,65, stood outside steps of Government Headquarters on Church Street Wednesday this week (15th January 2020) with a hand-written sign pinned to her chest which read: “I was sent home without notice penny less.”
Speaking to the local media, she explained that she has been sent home “from working for government institution for 18 years at the General Post Office.”
According to Williams: “It’s a sad moment why I have to do this.”
Due to a knee injury she was on leave from work and had to undergo surgery. She has indicated that she informed her workplace about her medical leave situation.
It is understood that in February 2019, Williams was notified by Bank of Nova Scotia online after checking that no deposits, totalling the four, were made into her account to which she was asked to check the payroll officer.
She said she then contacted the payroll officer and explained that she had “sent in a medical report and my medical report was a 90 days medical leave for me then to prepare myself then to go to Montreal (in Canada) to have the knee replacement.”
She continued: “I was distraught, hurt. I called my doctor who was seeing me and people who would have seen me [in Montreal] and they are all still concerned about my condition up to this day. Nobody at the Post Office notified me. I keep going there and it’s just like no answers. Yes, I am 65; I have no problem with that. I know my challenges, I know my hurdles and I worked hard over 18 years with the government. I wouldn’t really go into other things; I’ve been sent home without proper due notice. It’s a sad situation as a senior citizen… I have served the public as a child from 12 and more up to this present moment and I stick certain principles and I said let me come here today because somebody may be able to rise up above the call. You can’t sent home no worker in the country without notice.”
According to Williams: “The first day of 2nd day of August, I received under my door notifying me.”
“It appears that I’m just a stumbling block in the community. I am just here stuck to the goose cannot get loose, penny less… It’s a long story and I’m not getting any answers and I am standing on my own religiously,” she added.