ECFH Supports Staff in Tomas Aftermath
 
It has been almost two weeks since the passage of Hurricane Tomas and many Saint Lucians are still dealing with the damage and dislocation caused by this disaster. Bank of Saint Lucia, a subsidiary of East Caribbean Financial Holding Company (ECFH), has branches in both Vieux Fort and Soufriere which were both severely affected, particularly the latter community. So there were staff members in those areas who lost their homes and valuables making life difficult for them and their families. Then, the ensuing water crisis in the aftermath of the hurricane certainly affected the Group's entire staff complement and the company had to ensure that it took care of the staff's wellbeing during this difficult period.

Initial efforts directed towards ensuring that all employees were accounted for and safe. ECFH undertook several initiatives to address the needs of its staff as they continued to deliver service to customers and the public. For staff members who had significant loss and damage, care packages with relief supplies were prepared and dispatched to them shortly after the hurricane's passage. A relief account was also opened specifically for staff members to contribute financially to helping their colleagues recover. Relief supplies continue to pour in from staff members for their affected co-workers in various parts of the island.

ECFH distributed drinking water to its staff across the Group and in the days immediately after the hurricane, meals were provided as staff members worked under trying circumstances. The Human Resource Department endorsed a staff rotation system that allowed employees to serve the public and address urgent personal issues due to the water shortage. Dress down attire was also instituted to facilitate staff attendance at work despite the water crisis.  The Group has committed to continue to support staff as much as possible through this challenging period of recovery. Counselling services through the company's Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) are being made available to staff. Management is also considering other means of assisting employees who have been most seriously affected by the hurricane.

Bank of Saint Lucia Captures ECCB's Best Corporate Citizen Award 2010 

Bank of Saint Lucia has been named the Best Corporate Citizen for 2010 by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). The announcement was made at the ECCB Headquarters in Saint Kitts at a special awards ceremony on November 3rd. Bank of Saint Lucia's Assistant General Manager, Joanna Charles, accepted the award on behalf of the bank which also won the Good Corporate Citizen Award in four other areas: Educational Development, Environmental Awareness, Cultural Development, and Financial Education and Empowerment. Bank of Saint Lucia competed against over a dozen other banks in the sub-region to emerge as the overall winner.   

The ECCB Best Corporate Citizen Award initiated in 1997 recognises banks that reach out to the communities in which they operate to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The award acknowledges Bank of Saint Lucia's significant contribution to the socio-economic development of the island via its sponsorship and support of institutions such as CARE, the National Enrichment Learning Programme, and cultural festivals such as Carnival, Jounen Kweyol and the Jazz Festival. The bank was also recognized for its work in promoting financial literacy through saving and budgeting presentations to students; its television series, Financial Focus, and newspaper column, Financially Speaking; and its Gold sponsorship of Junior Achievement. The launch of the bank's environmental campaign, Greedy for Green, was regarded as a proactive and responsible initiative that tackles the critical issue of environmental protection and conservation.

Bank of Saint Lucia is the only bank operating in Saint Lucia to win the ECCB's Best Corporate Citizen Award which it also did in 2008. The bank was also the first recipient of the award in 1997 when it was the National Commercial Bank (NCB).