Staff working as Business Executives (B.E.s) at The Standard Group have come forward to shed light on what they describe as poor management practices and exploitative working conditions within the company, particularly in the finance department. Standard Group executives spill the beans on exploitation, unpaid wages, and accounting errors, questioning leadership integrity and the company’s financial oversight.
These employees, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, paint a troubling picture of an environment where hard work and dedication are met with little to no recognition or compensation, while a select group of individuals allegedly coast through their responsibilities without facing any consequences, leading to widespread frustration and a palpable sense of unfairness that has permeated the workplace.
They pointed out, in particular, the alarming situation within the Credit Control team in the finance department, where workers are expected to travel long distances at their own expense, sometimes spending over Ksh. 300 daily on transport, only to return to the office without reimbursement or any kind of facilitation, despite clear stipulations in their contracts.
The employees further claim that their efforts to follow up on debts and ensure that payments are received are undermined by a lack of support from upper management, which is often disengaged or dismissive, fostering a toxic culture where accountability is neglected, and hard-working individuals are left to bear the brunt of the company’s financial inefficiencies.
The complaints extend to poor management within the department.
Employees have named the team leader and the company’s new Chief Finance Officer (CFO) as incompetent leaders who fail to address the team’s issues.
The staff members further claim that there have been instances where VAT deductions were calculated incorrectly using a calculator, resulting in commission deductions being made twice—once before submission to payroll and again during payroll processing.
One of the most concerning allegations involves improper handling of company finances.
Employees allege that many debts have been paid to Standard Group but have not been properly allocated in the company’s treasury.
Instead, the payments were reportedly channeled to certain individuals’ accounts.
This, the employees argue, has contributed to a lack of transparency and accountability within the company, especially in the finance department.
The Credit Control team also faces systemic issues regarding communication and support.
According to the employees, Business Executives (BEs) withhold crucial client information from Credit Control staff, which hinders the department’s ability to perform its duties effectively.
Even when the Credit Control team successfully follows up on a debt and collects payment, it is the BEs who benefit from the commission, leaving Credit Control staff without any recognition or reward for their hard work.
The employees have also revealed that they and their colleagues have not received their salaries for several months, with one staff member reportedly owed over half a million Kenyan shillings.
They have expressed frustration at the situation, stating that the company’s failure to pay wages has contributed to their decision to resign.
Insiders within the company have assured that next week, they will provide a detailed update on the continuing challenges within the production department, offering a deeper understanding of the systemic issues and inefficiencies that are reportedly affecting the organization's overall operations. "Good morning Cyprian. I am one of the B.Es at Standard Group Media Company, and I am here to express my deep disappointment in the management of SG Company. There are people sacrificing their resources and time and ending up getting almost nothing, while a good number of individuals there are just lazing around waiting to be paid. In the Finance department, there is a team known as Credit Control. These people work tirelessly without being motivated or even paid accordingly. Imagine some of these people using more than Ksh. 300 for transport in a day and still being expected to go to the field without any facilitation (remember it is stated in their contract).
These guys have a very lazy and incompetent boss known as George Kabiru, who does not help them in anything. Their new CF, one Mr. Kiplagat, is another incompetent person; instead of motivating them, he is worsening the situation. Have you ever seen a situation where VAT is deducted using a calculator to forcefully reduce your commission pay before it is submitted to the payroll in the HR office, where it will also be deducted for the second time in the payroll? I do follow up on every activity, and sometimes I look at these victims in Credit Control and feel for them.
The main problem affecting this company is that there are many B.Es who only value their stomachs and not the company. Let me tell you, a lot of debts have been paid to SG but not allocated in the treasury simply because it has been channeled to some people's accounts. The company lacks proper monitoring of the accounts, and yet no one is there to support the belittled members of Credit Control. This is why there have always been conflicts between B.Es and Credit Control members in the field.
They are even denied information regarding clients they are supposed to see by their B.Es, which is meant to benefit the same company. The funny thing is that even after Credit Control has managed to do a follow-up and a debt is paid, it is still the B.Es who benefit by getting a huge commission, while these guys walk up and down with nothing and without any support. I will soon be resigning from the company, but I will make sure some of those guys get a better place where they will be appreciated, especially one Mr. Ben among the team leaders and a hardworking lady in the team known as Ms. Zilper, a very young girl at the age of my daughter but going through this.
Lastly, and not new, it has been a while, and we haven't received any salary. Right now, the company owes me over 650k, an amount that I don't know when or where I will get paid. This is one of the reasons forcing me to cut my connection with SG.
Next week I will update you on what's happening inside the production department."