The Okanagan-Similkameen Neurological Society is denying the claim from former employee and city councillor Judy Sentes, who alleges she was entitled to a $25,000 payment upon her retirement as executive director of the society.
Sentes was the executive director of the OSNS for 19 years and retired in 2013. She filed a statement of claim on Jan. 20 alleging she was promised a payment upon retirement from the society to compensate for the low salary.
The OSNS’s reply to Sentes’ statement of claim was filed on Feb. 5, within the 14-day deadline for a reply, but didn’t appear on the court services online. The Western News retrieved a copy of the OSNS reply from the Penticton Courthouse.
The reply to Sentes’ claim states that the original employment contract she entered with the society upon joining in 1994 made no provision for a payment to Sentes upon her retirement, and that her employment records did not justify any such payments.
The reply also states that the organization is unaware of any written agreement other than Sentes’ initial contract. The society has also denied the allegation that the written agreement that outlined the retirement payment was lost along with other important records.
Sentes claims that she negotiated a two-part retirement payment with the OSNS finance committee in March of 2014. The OSNS acknowledges being presented with a document from Sentes outlining a request for $12,829 for accumulated sick days and $12,115.24 for severance for a total of $24,944.83 to be paid upon her retirement.
The OSNS states that the board undertook a review and found that under the provisions of the Public Sector Employees Act the society could not pay Sentes for accumulated sick days, and that severance is not payable to employees who retire under the act.
According to Manisha Wilms, executive director of the OSNS, the society has been doing their due diligence in response to the claim.
“From the very beginning the board has given it extremely careful consideration and based on that consideration they created the reply,” Wilms said.
She declined to comment further.
The Western News was unable to reach Sentes for comment by press time Thursday.