Old Mutual treating employee/ ex-employee like ******** - miserable working environment in Sandton!

<p>I was hired by Old Mutual Corporate sales divsion in Sandton in as a salesperson. To my horror, the working environment was not what I expected . I was given no support, no training, was subjected to Afrikaans conversations in meetings and socially around the office (even though I dont speak that language), whispers in corridors about my experience and ***uality, a lack of training and support and most of all it was an extremely somber and depressing atmosphere to work in. There are ancient line manager with lack of people s****s hanging onto to roles they have had for decades (no guessing what race). So, the important information is that when Old Mutual employs broker sales consultants they dont pay you any salary, instead they give you a basic (which they term as loan which is repayable if you resign within the first to years).</p> <p>Needless to say, towards the end of my first month at my sad working environment, I resigned and handed in my notice. I expected a negative reaction but was overwhelmed by the dramatic negative outburst and unprofessionalism from my line manager and the subsequent verbal threats about how I had to pay back the R20k basic they paid me for the month of January. He refused to let me leave the premises in Sandton or accept my resingation stating that I had to type out and sign a letter stating that I would pay back the R20k basic they paid me for the month. I respected him but advised him that it is unfair to threaten me or force me to sign that I will pay R20k back when I had not been reimbursed for my work travel to brokers during the month, I had also not yet been paid my commission on several investments adn risk policies I brought to and worked on for the business . He refused to accept that I too was owed money in respect of this. I was so afraid that I had to then sneak out of the premises in my lunch break just to get away and go home. I was afraid and felt dehumanised.</p> <p>Interestingly, I had no confirmed employment when I left the company and resigned from Old Mutual purely because of the poor working environment, favouritsm amongst managers and gossiping and Afrikaans being used in formal meetings and private conversations in my presence.</p> <p>To my surprise, two years later (yesterday) I receive a demand letter from their Debt Department stating that I am demaded to pay the R20k basic salary back to Old Mutual. There is no mention of the investments and risk policies i activated, those I worked on and those that I left in the new business pipeline. There is no mention of my work travel which was given to my manager who also shared my work calendar. I feel bul****, ****** and this further imprints the already negative perception of the Sandton branch of Old Mutual. I would never recommend the company to anyone, no matter what the pay. Money isnt everything, caring for staff and creating a pleasurable working environment is key, something lacking at Old Mutual Sandton! Perhaps its great at the national Head Office which I visited several times but Sandton is a completely different set of principles and culture.</p> <p>Anyway, the HR Manager sent me a standard email shortly after I left two years afo, asking for an exit interview in person which I declined but she never called or offered to discuss my issues or reasons for leaving telephonically. Why would i attend an exit interview at the place I had to escape from!?</p> <p>To the Debt Recovery Old Mutual, I will gladly and righteously make arrangements to settle my financial responsibility to Old Mutual only after all the above factors have been taken into account. Failing a fair or reasonable solution to this matter, I will timeously pursue private legal respresentation against Old Mutual Corporate broker distribution whilst pursuing all public print and digital media that the law makes available to me to share my experience.</p>