Information reaching this press reveal that Lamin Manjang, Standard Chartered Bank, Vice Chairman for Africa, responding to statements from staff that their mental health is affected by the uncertainty surrounding their future and the Bank’s reluctance to agree to properly compute and fully pay their terminal benefits, in a cavalier dismissive tone, stated that the staff should not say such “emotional gimmicks”.
It is reported that when a staff member protested at a town hall meeting held at the Bank’s premises on Thursday 24th August 2023 against Manjang’s statement, Chief Executive Officer, Yetundi Oni, abruptly shut the staff down, provoking a response that this is the Bank’s pattern of continuously intimidating staff.
If these serious allegations turn out to be true, this would be a great wrong and catastrophic neglect for staff welfare by a global brand, with a motto, “here for good”, who cares about doing the right thing.
The World Health Organisation report that mental health conditions are increasing worldwide. Mental health conditions now cause 1 in 5 years living with disability. “An estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point in time.”
Approximately one in five people in post-conflict settings end up with a mental health condition. For this to have occurred in post conflict Sierra Leone would be a travesty.
Mental health conditions can have a substantial effect on all areas of life, such work performance, relationships with family and friends and ability to participate in the community. Two of the most common mental health conditions, depression and anxiety, cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year.
The WHO identifies some causes of mental health to include, limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision; violence, harassment or bullying; discrimination and exclusion; job insecurity, inadequate pay, or poor investment in career development; and conflicting home/work demands.
The International Labour Organisation in a publication “Mental Health and Work: Impact, issues and good practices”, noted that an employee’s place of work also affects his or her mental wellbeing and health.
It is a consensus among Mental health Professionals that despite the challenges of being able to pinpoint the exact impact of the work place on the mental wellbeing of an employee, it is certain that the workplace environment can have a significant impact on an individual’s mental well-being.
For senior officials of Standard Chartered Bank to trivialise and dismiss staff statement of about potential disability of emotional and mental wellbeing, at a time when the Government through the Ministry of Health and its partners, places huge focus on such health concern, is very sad state of affairs.
This calls for investigation and an immediate retraction and apology from Manjang, Oni and Standard Chartered Bank.
Investigation carried out by this press also revealed that even though aggrieved staff are prepared to serve the Bank diligently, the officials of the Bank have been making rounds in Government offices and regulatory authorities presenting wrong and confusing messages in respect of the payment of terminal benefit entitlement. It would be a shame if this matter, which is adjourned for hearing for Tuesday 29th August 2023, goes on or the Bank leave Sierra Leone after 129 years without doing the right thing to Sierra Leone.
The bank, in response, stated that ““We are aware of the current situation in the bank, We are monitoring it closely and will find a solution to it.”