Background Case
Our client, a Third Country National from Nepal, had relocated to Malta back in 2021 through a Single Work Permit that was granted on a job title of ‘waitress’ with a local restaurant in Malta. The job title and job specifications were written within the Position Description document of Identity Malta Agency as part of the work permit application documents, and this was signed by the director of the restaurant. Our client had moved to Malta and started working as a waitress after obtaining her Maltese residence permit.
Employment Issue
At one point the employer requested our client a change in role, requesting to move into the kitchen and work as a dishwasher, to which, our client refused since her work permit specified the job title of waitress. As our client was not reporting to work due to this issue, the employer decided to terminate her without any notice, meaning that the employer fired her unfairly without even informing her and thus nullifying the work residence permit from the date of termination. Meanwhile, our client had found another job to which she applied; however the Single Work Permit was refused by Identity Malta Agency since she was then found to be in an irregular position due to the fact the her previous employer terminated her without any sort of notice. This meant our client was illegally residing in Malta.
The Result
Client resorted to Sciberras Advocate to regularise her position with immigration. However, upon reviewing the full employment case, our lawyer found that the restaurant owner committed various breaches of employment law by not correctly paying the wages as per Wage Regulations Order and not paying the full National Insurance due. Following various legal efforts and appeals, and thanks to the assistance of the Department For Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER), a settlement was found, and our client obtained the necessary permission to re-apply for a new job again in Malta. A private settlement was also reach with the employer’s lawyer to correct past mistakes in payroll.
This was another successful case for Sciberras Advocates.
This article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.
Article written by Ms Charlene Sciberras, B.A. (Hons), guest writer, is a marketing and business administration specialist with a special focus on corporate, accounting, and legal matters.
Sciberras Advocates founded by Dr Adrian Sciberras, is a law firm based in Malta. The firm prides itself to be multi-disciplinary, innovative and flexible in order to meet the changing times and any challenges in the local and international legal scenario. No matter what private or corporate complex demands are called for, Sciberras Advocates offers practical and cost-effective legal solutions to achieve your desired results. You may reach Sciberras Advocates by phone on +35627795222 or via email on [email protected].
