Saga: Kirshbaum Reneged on Agreement

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This is a follow-up to our story from yesterday about Randi Kirshbaum’s criticism about how she was laid off from her job with Saga’s Portland Radio Group. Saga executives tell Radio Ink they do not appreciate the company being dragged through the mud in the press and social media and are fighting back.

In some parts of the country employees are heading back to their jobs and offices as the country moves toward re-opening the economy after weeks of being in a forced lockdown by the government. Saga’s Portland Radio Group is transitioning its employees from home back to its stations. Randi Kirshbaum was a PD and on-air host for that cluster.

Kirshbaum contends that a serious medical condition prevents her from going back to the office and she claimed on Facebook that Saga used that medical condition to let her go. After our story ran yesterday, CEO Ed Christian let us know he did not appreciate his company being maligned with untruths during these curious times.

Saga executives shared Kirshbaum’s signed agreement with Radio Ink which they say was approved by her attorney and does have her signature on it.

The agreement stipulates that the coronavirus work-from-home arrangement was a two week agreement that renewed automatically every two weeks unless Saga notified her prior to renewal. After about six weeks Saga says Kirshbaum was notified her that the company was moving toward re-opening and she would be required to return to work according to the deal the two sides signed. Saga says that’s when she refused to return which triggered a self-termination.

Saga executives tells Radio Ink Kirshbaum’s doctor admitted Kirshbaum had no health issues at that time. When asked when she would return, the doctor said , possibly when there is a vaccine. Saga says out of a courtesy to Kirshbaum they placed her on layoff with paid health care and she was not fired.

In several Portland area newspapers Kirshbaum was quoted saying she never agreed that returning to the office would be Saga’s decision.

 

 

2 COMMENTS

  1. This was so wrong on so many levels!
    My husband and I both worked at a SAGA station and were also given ultimatums and
    virtually chased out of our jobs! After 25 years they were abusive, disrespectful and sexist.
    All SAGA management all the way from the CEO and down have zero respect for their employees and absolutely no loyalty to them. Because of the abuse I took from them I became very ill and it has taken me two years to finally feel like myself again. Randy Kirshbaum has every right to be upset, she was loved and respected in her community and was blindsided by their callousness. Maybe Chris Forgy should try managing from his bedroom with slippers on he might do a better job.

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