Many workers at Equity Bank Kenya feel that their trust in the management has been broken after the latest round of bonuses, salary increments, and performance reviews.
Instead of boosting morale, the exercise has left a majority of employees angry and demotivated. Staff say the entire process was handled in a way that seemed to reward only a few top bosses while sidelining most of the workforce.
Those left out believe the decisions were unfair and lacked transparency, with some employees even being placed on Performance Improvement Plans despite having met expectations in earlier reviews.
In an anonymous letter, employees voiced their frustration, pointing out that around 60 percent of the workforce did not receive any salary increment or bonus.
The discontent grew deeper when management introduced PiPs using performance data from the 2024 financial year, which had already ended months earlier.
Staff argue that if they were underperforming during that period, the issue should have been addressed then through quarterly reviews, not suddenly raised at the same time bonuses were being distributed.
For many, the timing looked deliberate and punitive.
Another major issue raised was the lack of clarity in the evaluation process. Employees say that their Enterprise Resource Planning scores had shown “Meets Expectations,” yet PiP letters claimed they failed to meet targets.
To make things worse, no clear evidence or examples were provided to justify those claims. Some staff also discovered that new performance indicators had been introduced without their knowledge, changing the criteria against which they were measured.
They argue that such changes should have been communicated earlier, not introduced secretly during the bonus exercise.
The confusion has led many to believe that favoritism influenced who got rewarded and who did not. Some suggest that executives and those close to them benefitted, while hardworking employees were overlooked or unfairly punished.
Workers say this has damaged team spirit and weakened trust in the leadership, leaving them questioning whether Equity Bank lives up to its public image of fairness and accountability.
Employees are now demanding that the management explain the criteria used in determining bonuses, increments, and PiPs.
They want a proper dialogue where their concerns can be openly addressed.
According to the letter, the lack of openness not only undermines morale but also risks affecting overall performance at the bank.
Staff insist that they remain committed to their duties, but they believe such practices will only weaken their motivation unless steps are taken to restore fairness and rebuild trust.
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