Ester Mbathera
When Lorain* joined her company as a divisional human resources manager four years ago, she arrived with energy, skills, and determination.
Instead of support, she found isolation, intimidation, and emotional exhaustion.
Today, Lorain is one of many workers battling depression caused by bullying at work.
Ahead of International Workers’ Day on 1 May, she shared how her experience began.
“When I came in, I came in very strongly. But some people felt threatened. They threw me to the shareholder side and made life impossible for me,” she said.
She said one colleague, closely connected to senior management, began to undermine her.
She was assigned unfair tasks, given contradictory instructions, and pushed to carry out actions that breached financial protocols.
“She made me do unprocedural and unethical instructions. In payroll, HR just captures data, but finance loads the payment. They wanted me to do both, which was wrong,” she said.
The situation worsened over time. A new manager initially recognised her value, but the bullying continued.
“They created false stories to make me look bad. They tried to discredit me with the new boss,” she said.
Under pressure, Lorain began to experience depression and anxiety.
“I went to a psychologist. After a few sessions, they told me there was nothing wrong with me. It was the situation at work,” she said.
At one point, she was booked off for two months due to stress.
When she returned, she confronted her bully.
“One morning, I told her, ‘You are a big bully.’ That changed the way she treated me,” she said.
Despite the confrontation, the bullying culture remains.
“The bully is still there, and nothing has changed. It’s painful,” she said.
Lorain said a major issue is the lack of psychological safety at work.
“There is no psychological safety. Even if you report something confidentially, it becomes known. Relationships and loyalty circles are too strong,” she said.
Petersen Kambinda, commander-in-chief of the Namibian Revolutionary Transport Union (NARETU), said the Labour Act and company policies often do not address bullying clearly.
“In most cases, workplace bullying is treated as harassment. Only properly established companies have clear policies. The majority of companies don’t even have policies around bullying,” he said.
He said that without clear rules, workplaces become chaotic and toxic. Many workers leave their jobs because of bullying.
“Some employees just walk into our offices and say, ‘Help me, I want to resign.’ When you ask why, they say they are being bullied and harassed,” he said.
Where there is evidence, such as emails, recordings, or witness accounts, the union helps workers file constructive dismissal cases at the Office of the Labour Commissioner.
“We can prove the person did not leave because they wanted to, but because of harassment. Then they can be paid severance or even be reinstated,” he said.
But he admitted the Labour Act has gaps.
The Namibia Labour Act, 2007, protects workers from unfair labour practices and harassment.
Section 5 prohibits unfair treatment and discrimination.
Section 39 requires employers to ensure employees’ health and safety.
But it does not mention workplace bullying as a specific offence.
“There are loopholes in the Act. You can only squeeze bullying under the fundamental rights of an employee in Section 5. The environment must be conducive, and it is the employer’s duty to make sure of that. But it’s not clearly spelled out in the Act, and that’s a challenge,” Kambinda said.
Angula Angula, acting general secretary of the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (MANWU), said the Labour Act is under review, and he hopes bullying will be addressed in the revised version.
“I think maybe that clause can be part of the Labour Act while it’s under review,” he said.
He said most companies lack proper codes on bullying.
“Most places have rules about alcohol, drugs, and theft, but nothing about bullying. Yet bullying causes real damage,” he said.
Even in his years of union work, Angula said strong anti-bullying policies are rare, especially in the construction sector.
“Maybe there are companies that have it, but in the sectors we deal with, it is not common,” he said.
Psychologist Ceaseria Mutau described bullying as a psycho-social hazard that is often overlooked.
“Victims of workplace bullying tend to experience long-term psychological distress, which may lead to more pronounced mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety,” she said.
She said bullying is often built on control and manipulation, which causes fear and emotional harm.
“Often perpetuated in toxic working environments, workplace bullying is a pervasive phenomenon that impacts the mental well-being of the victim, inflicting psychological injury resulting from traumatic lived experiences. Once inflicted, the victim will present with signs and symptoms that show up as anxiety, panic attacks and intrusive thoughts of fear,” she said.
She said these symptoms often lead to depression.
“Due to intense feelings of helplessness and hopelessness about their situation, the victim will likely develop depressive symptoms,” she said.
Mutau said many employees stay away from work due to undiagnosed depression. Namibia ranks 11th globally in suicide rates.
She said many workers feel betrayed by their employers.
“There are no mechanisms to identify or reduce these risks,” she said.
She called for better workplace wellbeing strategies. “Open communication, mutual respect and vulnerability must be allowed. Investing in a culture of wellbeing enhances employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity,” she said.
Mutau also urged workers to take care of their mental health.
“Employees need to establish a sense of ownership of their well-being and mend the pieces of the self that have been broken. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves,” she said.
She is the founder of the Employee Wellness Indaba, scheduled for 21–22 May 2025 under the theme Redefining Decent Workplaces Using Wellness as a Strategy.
“This May Day, the call is for employers to relook at their people strategy as many employees continue to suffer in silence,” she said.
*Name changed to protect identity.
