Runaway staff cause KingAlarm to ground visa letters

KingAlarm has decided to indefinitely discontinue the issuance of recommendation letters because of a spate of travel breaches by staff who have received visas to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, leaving the security company “in a most embarrassing position”.

The stop order, dated January 27, was relayed in an internal memorandum by Managing Director John P. Azar and was addressed to all members of staff.

“Further to a conversation with personnel from a diplomatic mission late last week, please be advised that we are putting a hold on all recommendation letters to the US, Canadian, and British embassies/high commissions until further notice,” the memo read.

“This is as a result of the fact that a number of persons who have acquired visitors’ visas partly as a result of our recommendations have left the island and not returned. ... If and when this policy changes, I will so advise,” Azar said.

But staff members are bristling at the sweeping decision, a source told The Gleaner yesterday.

The worker, requesting anonymity for fear of sanction because he was not authorised to speak to the press, argued that he was more concerned about how the inconvenience would ground law-abiding co-workers who wanted to travel.

“It’s all because recently, five workers got visas and left without notifying the company and left the centre stranded. People have had to be doubling up,” the staffer said.

President of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, Lois Walters, questioned the broadbrush action.

“It’s almost as if you are penalising everybody else for the other people who have done it. ... It is not your responsibility if persons are not coming back.

“... The person not coming back is a choice people make,” she said.