- Former Employment Minister Austin Gamey says BoG acted within Ghana’s labour laws
- About 97 recruits hired after December 7, 2024, were dismissed after failing probation
- Gamey explains probationary employment allows for termination without notice
Renowned human resource expert and former Employment Minister, Austin Gamey, has stated that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) acted in accordance with Ghana’s labour laws when it terminated the appointments of some staff hired in December 2024.
In an interview with Joy Business, Mr. Gamey explained that Ghanaian labour law allows employers to hire workers on probation for up to six months, during which time their performance is evaluated. If the employee does not meet the organisation’s expectations, the employer is within its rights to end the employment.
“An employer is even permitted to terminate an appointment without notice during probation,” Mr. Gamey explained. “Once the period ends and the employee hasn’t met expectations, they can be let go with little or no notice.”
On June 19, 2025, the BoG issued termination letters to about 97 employees recruited after December 7, 2024, citing poor performance during the probation period as the reason.
Mr. Gamey noted that this group represented a small portion of the over 200 people employed during that time. He compared probation to a footballer on trial: “If the player impresses, they get a contract. If not, the club moves on.”
Responding to claims of political motivation—given that the appointments were made under the previous administration—Mr. Gamey dismissed those concerns. He recalled that the current government had already stated early in 2024 that recruits without financial clearance could be let go.
“If it was political, they would have been dismissed long ago when the directive was first issued,” he added.
Mr. Gamey emphasised that only those who failed to meet internal standards were affected and argued that legal action against the BoG would likely fail.
“Unless there’s clear evidence that due process wasn’t followed, going to court may not yield any results,” he said.
The Bank of Ghana has insisted the decision is part of its regular performance evaluation and not politically driven. One senior official told Joy Business that the process is routine and necessary to uphold high workplace standards. Another noted that some irregularities were found in the initial recruitment process, which further justified the terminations.
Mr. Gamey concluded by calling for a merit-based system, saying that if institutions stay committed to fairness and performance, political interference will become a thing of the past.
