The Industrial Court has ordered State Insurance Company Limited to pay its former Chief Financial Officer, Andre Knight, EC$886,909.90 in compensation after ruling that his dismissal was unfair, without just cause, and in breach of procedural requirements under the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code. According to Antigua.news, the judgment was delivered in April.
Knight was summarily dismissed on November 13, 2023, after 21 years of service with the company. The court found the termination failed to meet the standards required by Section C10(1) and Section C56 of the Labour Code.
State Insurance had argued the dismissal was justified on grounds of financial mismanagement, regulatory non-compliance, failure to discharge fiduciary duties, and a sustained pattern of underperformance. The court rejected each of those arguments.
The judgment noted that Knight had himself identified an EC$9.8 million discrepancy and insisted on a restatement. The court accepted evidence that the data error originated in the Life and Medical Department, an area over which Knight had no management authority.
The termination letter was also found to be deficient. The court determined it described the financial restatement issue without identifying Knight's specific culpable act or omission, when he became aware of any error, or what he should have done differently.
"The letter describes an outcome," the judgment states. "It does not identify the Employee's specific culpable act or omission."
On procedural fairness, the court found that State Insurance issued no formal disciplinary charges related to the misstatement, provided no written warning tied to the grounds for dismissal, and convened a meeting on November 7 with no notice — giving Knight no time to prepare or obtain legal representation. He was terminated six days later with no prior indication that dismissal was imminent.
The panel awarded an additional EC$50,000 in exemplary damages, finding the dismissal was carried out in a manner that was harsh and oppressive. The court cited the deliberate denial of a genuine opportunity to respond and the complete absence of disciplinary proceedings.
The court also highlighted the company's failure to offer Knight a medical insurance conversion option — a decision that came just seventeen days before his daughter was scheduled for surgery at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta, estimated to cost just over US$67,000.
Chief Executive Officer Arion Nicholas confirmed under cross-examination that the conversion option was never offered to Knight, either verbally or in writing, and that his medical card was returned at the time of termination. The court described this as a conscious choice rather than an oversight, noting State Insurance's institutional expertise in insurance products.
The full compensation order breaks down as follows: EC$343,768.19 for loss of protection; EC$269,754.92 for immediate loss; EC$30,027.12 for future loss; EC$50,000 in exemplary damages; EC$183,359.67 conditional on proof of surgical costs; and EC$10,000 in costs.
Payment is to be made in three monthly instalments of EC$295,636.53, due on May 31, June 30, and July 31, 2026.
