BoogeyWoman

Member
Aug 29, 2010
62
0
6
it started when we employed a young girl, she went missing with our store keys and a small amount of money, which we didnt really care to make a police report. Like many companies in Indonesia, we have agreement for all employees who take cash daily is to have their school certificate as guarantee to work with us, as we usually have a big transaction in a day. We never have problem, only this time. what we do usually is we return the certificate once they quit and done with clearing.

but not this girl. she just go, poof. We couldn't find her for almost 7 years. She never sent us any letter, never texted or email. She just went missing.

last week she suddenly came to our business place, with the head of banjar security. They came in hot anger out of sudden and threaten if we didn't return her certificate within a week they will ransack all my businesses. I called the head of banjar asking what happened, how could a guy called him self a family of mangku came and trying to ransack our businesses with no explanation, he doesn't want to hear any explanation but command me what to do or he will close my business by next week.

Although we have an agreement it seems it is not applicable anymore. Their wives even called me and asked me just settled the certificate back and forget about our employees contract before in a commanding way. She always angry at us after we didn't gave her permission to lend some of expensive jewelry for her upacara.

So, should I close my eyes and let them do what they want or I should go by legal?
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
9,317
1,110
113
Karangasem, Bali
Basically you're fecked.

Give them back the certificate and offer to employ the girl/woman again. Apologize for the misunderstanding, take all the blame on yourself and start closing your business(es).

You will never have a happy day in that village again.

Or of course you can fight the whole village in court. Then you will also lose all your money.
 

balibule

Active Member
Feb 6, 2009
1,059
1
38
Return the certificate. It's been 7 years ago and, as you said, only a small amount of money. Not worth the hassle I think.
 

ferdie

Member
Apr 4, 2013
677
2
16
Near Ubud
move your business, that banjar is sick
When you are right, they still kick you in the butt, why would you stay?
There's one more posible scenario, they want to kick you out so there will be new people in the premise?
 

PROLINKSBY

New Member
Oct 21, 2014
8
0
1
Hi

People like them shouldn't be treated too nice. Like Ferdie says, even if we are right (and nice to them), they still kick us in the butt.

U hv options wether to finish them by going to the police and spend a lots of money or closing your business because of those small people.

One thing i've learned sometimes we have to play hard on some people.

Which one will you lose less, you decide for yourself. Hope everything's ok with you.
 

prudentia

New Member
Oct 22, 2014
6
0
1
...there seems little trust to begin with, keeping an employee's certificate as some sort of token.... genuine trust does not rely on tokens or burdens of 'debt' ... so let go of your ego, and return what is not yours! :icon_arrow:
 

SHoggard

Member
Nov 28, 2011
738
3
16
Singapore
I'd question the legality of taking and witholding an employee's personal documents - school certificate, IC, passport, whatever - sounds too much like 'slavery' - plenty of Indon maids overseas have their passport 'retained' by employer or maid-agency this opens them to abuse from which they can't escape. Since you are in Indonesia, she probably didn't have a passport, so school certificate probably serves a similar function - to prevent he getting another job.
I'm sure your intentions were not this... but consider the story she probably told the Banjar to get them so hot n bothered.

Change your 'HR' methods
 

PROLINKSBY

New Member
Oct 21, 2014
8
0
1
I'd question the legality of taking and witholding an employee's personal documents - school certificate, IC, passport, whatever - sounds too much like 'slavery' - plenty of Indon maids overseas have their passport 'retained' by employer or maid-agency this opens them to abuse from which they can't escape. Since you are in Indonesia, she probably didn't have a passport, so school certificate probably serves a similar function - to prevent he getting another job.
I'm sure your intentions were not this... but consider the story she probably told the Banjar to get them so hot n bothered.

Change your 'HR' methods

Witholding employee's personal documents is normal in indonesia. Not just in Bali, many companies in the capital (Jakarta) keep the personal documents that belong to their staffs, especially if the job is dealing with money.

Before the staff is hired, the company would ask him/her to sign a contract agreement that mentions staff's approval of surrendering the personal documents.

In this case, if boogeywoman have that signed agreement, she has strong position to deny the threat.
 

SHoggard

Member
Nov 28, 2011
738
3
16
Singapore
Yea... and look at the trouble she's in!
She may have a 'strong position to deny the threat'..... they're threatening to ransack her business!
 

PROLINKSBY

New Member
Oct 21, 2014
8
0
1
Like i said, She has to choose which one is less unfortunate.
Once she gives up on the threat, the news will rapidly spread and she will face another similar case when employing a new staff in the future. They will dare to do anything worst than this case because they know she would not "fight back".

One thing i've learned in so many years dealing with people like them, we have to show our stance if we're in the right position.
If we give up, we better find somewhere else to start over the business. This is only my opinion.
 

Gusti

New Member
Dec 16, 2011
22
1
1
Basically you're fecked.

Give them back the certificate and offer to employ the girl/woman again. Apologize for the misunderstanding, take all the blame on yourself and start closing your business(es).

You will never have a happy day in that village again.

Or of course you can fight the whole village in court. Then you will also lose all your money.

Agree, actually you are on the right side, but life is not that simple, moving your business somewhere else may be look like a silly thing, but it may come as your last solution, it has been 7 years ago since you hold her certificate just for a small amount of money, it's not worthy enough anyway
 

Gusti

New Member
Dec 16, 2011
22
1
1
Like i said, She has to choose which one is less unfortunate.
Once she gives up on the threat, the news will rapidly spread and she will face another similar case when employing a new staff in the future. They will dare to do anything worst than this case because they know she would not "fight back".

One thing i've learned in so many years dealing with people like them, we have to show our stance if we're in the right position.
If we give up, we better find somewhere else to start over the business. This is only my opinion.

Well, you should consider where your business is running at