A former employee of Habitat for Humanity has filed a lawsuit against the non-profit, claiming that his job was wrongfully terminated while he was on leave.
Paul Redekopp, 48, filed the suit in BC Supreme Court on June 18, Abbotsford News reported.
Redekopp served as a general manager for several of Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore locations in Abbotsford and Chilliwack. The stores sold donated and used building materials and furniture.
The stores were closed May 12 after the non-profit announced that it had terminated the membership of its Upper Fraser Valley affiliate.
According to Redekopp’s lawsuit, Habitat initially agreed to pay him an annual salary of $45,000 when he first began with the NGO in July 2016. This salary amount was set to be increased to $55,000 on January 01, 2017. He also claimed that he was to receive bankable overtime hours whenever he worked more than 40 hours a week, on top of a reimbursement arrangement for “reasonable expenses.” Redekopp also claimed that his employment contract indicated that he could only be terminated with “reasonable notice and/or pay in lieu of reasonable notice.”
The salary increase that was promised to Redekopp by January 01, 2017 did not arrive as expected, but his pay was instead increased to $51,000 in August of that year. He was again allegedly promised another increase to $60,000 on January 01, 2018, but that did not happen. Redekopp additionally alleged that he regularly worked 70 to 80 hours a week, but he was not adequately paid for his overtime work.
His lawsuit claimed that, in early 2018, he began to experience severe chest pain. Redekopp was diagnosed with job-related stress, and then he went on stress leave in March. He was advised to remain off work for three to six months.
While Redekopp was away on leave, Habitat allegedly stripped both his access to his work email account, and the stores, the suit stated. The non-profit also reportedly terminated his vacation pay without advance notice, failed to reimburse nearly $2,500 in expenses, and closed down the stores without notifying him in advance.
Redekopp noted he has not been paid his statutory severance pay and his vacation pay. He added that his work-related expenses had also not been reimbursed.
He additionally alleged that when he visited the ReStore in Abbotsford on June 01 to retrieve his personal belongings, he found that several of his items were missing. Acting CEO David Morris was present at that time, and not only denied Redekopp’s request to search for the items, but also called the police on him.
He additionally claimed that he was falsely accused of tampering with the Abbotsford ReStore’s alarm system.
The allegations have not yet been proven in court.
This is Habitat for Humanity’s second civil lawsuit involving its operations in the Upper Fraser Valley, Abbotsford News reported. In May, former local branch CEO Doug Rempel filed a suit for wrongful dismissal against the non-profit. The lawsuit has since been settled, but the terms were not disclosed.
