-Labour Ministry Orders 14 Months’ Salary Compensation
Monrovia: The Division of Labour Standards at Liberia’s Ministry of Labour has ruled in favor of Mrs. Alice Soni-Larry, a former employee of SIB Bank Liberia, who was wrongfully dismissed from her position. The Ministry determined that her termination was based on religious discrimination and administrative errors, ordering the bank to either reinstate her with full benefits or provide substantial financial compensation.
Mrs. Soni-Larry, a devout Seventh-Day Adventist, was hired as Credit Manager by SIB Bank in 2017 after securing a written agreement exempting her from working on Saturdays, a key requirement of her faith. The exemption was formally confirmed through emails from both the Managing Director and the HR Manager, who also communicated to all departments that Saturday work was mandatory for staff except for two Seventh-Day Adventist employees, including Mrs. Soni-Larry.
Despite this clear arrangement, the bank later terminated her employment, citing excessive absenteeism under Chapter 14, Section 14.3 VII of Liberia’s Decent Work Act of 2025, which permits dismissal for unauthorized absences exceeding 10 consecutive days or 20 days over a six-month period.
After carefully reviewing the evidence and testimonies presented during the proceedings, the Ministry of Labour concluded that Mrs. Soni-Larry’s dismissal was unjust and motivated by malice, hatred, and prejudice. The ruling emphasized that her absence from work on Saturdays was pre-approved and directly tied to her religious beliefs, rendering her termination unlawful.
As part of the ruling, the Ministry ordered SIB Bank to compensate Mrs. Soni-Larry with 14 months’ salary, amounting to $3,500 multiplied by 14, totaling $49,000. Additionally, the bank must pay her outstanding leave for two weeks per year over three years, as well as her provident fund contributions, calculated at 8% of her gross salary for seven years. Alternatively, the bank has the option to reinstate Mrs. Soni-Larry to her former position with full back pay and benefits, as if her employment had never been terminated.
As of now, SIB Bank has not issued a public response to the ruling. Legal analysts suggest the bank may choose to appeal the decision or negotiate a settlement, but failure to comply could result in further legal consequences. The ruling was officially issued under the authority of Bolkai A. Sheriff, Director of Labour Standards at the Ministry of Labour, Republic of Liberia.
