Dismissed after eleven years, back at work in nine weeks

What happened

My client had run the night shift at a distribution warehouse in Cranston for eleven years. She was dismissed by letter two days after raising a safety complaint about a loading bay. The letter gave no reason beyond “restructuring”. Her job was advertised the following week.

What I did

I asked for her personnel file the same day and had it within the week. The dates did the arguing: complaint on the 3rd, dismissal on the 5th, advert on the 12th. I filed in Superior Court and offered to talk before the first hearing.

How it ended

At the first conference the employer agreed to take her back, with pay for the nine weeks she was out and her service record left unbroken. She was on shift again the following Monday.