Damelin sales drive unacceptable -- judge
A COURT judgment has exposed the massive pressure managers at one of South Africa’s biggest private education companies are under to enrol new students.
Steve Parkinson, general manager of Damelin’s Boksburg campus, was fired in 2012 for missing sales targets, and this week the Labour Appeal Court in Johannesburg ruled he had been unfairly dismissed.
In his ruling, Judge Adolph Landman quoted from some of the letters Parkinson was sent by executives in the run-up to his dismissal. Nolan Charles, then chief commercial officer of the Educor group — Damelin’s owner — told Parkinson in November 2011 that pre-enrolments for 2012 were behind the target.
“This situation is unacceptable and cannot continue,” he wrote. “What do you expect me to tell the CEO and chairman of Educor? They are not accepting REINSTATED: Steve Parkinson missed enrolment targets any of my excuses on your behalf. You are letting me, yourself and your team down.”
Charles informed Parkinson that if he did not increase preenrolments by 30% within two weeks, “all your annual leave will be cancelled for November/December/January” and he would be given notice “that we intend to dismiss you”.
He added: “Do not underestimate my resolve . . . I am under NEW JOB: Nolan Charles made threats immense pressure to ensure you deliver. I WILL NOT CARRY YOU THROUGH THIS PROCESS. If your [sales personnel] are not prepared to co-operate, then dismiss them.”
In a January 2012 letter setting new targets, Charles warned Parkinson again that he risked dismissal, and a week later he wrote to general managers at all 17 Damelin campuses across five provinces warning of dismissal or redeployment for “non-performers”.
Parkinson missed his target and was fired after being charged with poor work performance. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration confirmed his dismissal, but the Labour Court in Johannesburg ordered his reinstatement, saying Damelin had violated its disciplinary procedure.
Landman said that Charles’s letter calling on managers to dismiss others to save their own jobs was “an unacceptable approach”. He ordered Parkinson’s reinstatement.
Parkinson told the Sunday Times he would discuss the next step with trade union Solidarity, which represented him. Since September 2014 he has been training solutions manager at SKF Group in Johannesburg. Charles left Damelin a year ago and his LinkedIn profile says he is now new business development consultant at Nolan Charles Consulting in Durban.