Press Release
A Brighton property manager was fired in her first week – for asking if her employer provided a pension.
Laura King, of Hove, took a job as Brighton & Hove Property Manager for K F Properties, owned by Brutus jeans magnate Keith Freedman, and was asked to check her employment contract by line-manager, Jitendra Patel, known as “JP”.
However, when she queried why the company did not offer a pension scheme of any kind, Mr Patel dismissed her, claiming she would not be “happy” working for him.
Miss King said: “I was really enjoying the job and happy in it. I intended to stay for at least two years. I was totally shocked and devastated to be sacked.
“When I was offered the role, JP persuaded me to start almost immediately. The next week he gave me my contract of employment and asked me to check it. I did not expect to be summarily dismissed just for raising a query.
“Keith Freedman may be the king of jeans but I did not think his company would behave like a cowboy outfit when it came to employment law. The Government is encouraging employers to offer pensions, so simply asking about pension provision should not have got me the sack.”
Brutus jeans and Trimfit shirts
Miss King says K F Properties has unfairly dismissed her and is asking multi-millionaire Keith Freedman for a settlement agreement payment as compensation. She said Mr Freedman, who made a fortune out of Brutus jeans and “Trimfit” shirts and built up a national property empire, has not responded.
She added: “I am an experienced property manager and did an excellent job for Mr Freedman during my short time with his company. But his right-hand man, JP, has no right to ride roughshod over employment law.
“JP signed my contract of employment and so did I. However, he still sacked me, saying that if I was not happy he would only end up having to waste time and money employing another property manager in the future. It makes no sense because he is now having to do just that.”
When the-news.co contacted the London offices of K F Properties a spokesperson said; “Nobody is available to comment.”
You would not have enjoyed it anyway, dreadful properties. Damp! Managed badly.
So many people leaving soon after 1st contract up!
The current manager makes you feel unwelcome and is watching your every move.
Too many rules, awfully high rent for what is offered.
Because of high turnover of residents you would not have been able to do it alone! It would have been huge pressure. Your better off out of it!