Woman told bank of health problem on day she left

A FORMER AIB staff officer agreed under cross- examination in the High Court yesterday that the first time she told the bank she had a health problem was in May 2000 when she ceased working for it.

Sheila O’Keeffe, aged 48, of Billis, Drumalee, Cavan, is taking the action against the bank for damages alleging bullying and psychological abuse while employed at the bank in Cavan between 1999 and 2000.

AIB denies the claims and says she was not subjected to work-related stress as alleged and denies it was negligent or in breach of duty. Yesterday was the third day of the action.

Cross-examined by Patrick Hanratty SC, for AIB, Ms O’Keeffe agreed that she had suffered from depression in November 1998 but denied that she had told a doctor it was “work-related”.

She agreed that she was on anti-depressant medication when she applied for the position as staff officer.

Asked by counsel did she ever tell anybody in the bank that she suffered from depression, Ms O’Keeffe replied: “Why would I do that... No.” She agreed that the first time the bank knew she had a health problem was when she ceased working in 2000.

She also agreed that she had a recurring unipolar depression and according to a psychiatrist it would be necessary for her to stay on long-term treatment.

When Mr Hanratty put it to Ms O’Keeffe that evidence would be given by a psychiatrist that the reason she became depressed in 1999 was because she stopped taking medication the plaintiff said that this was “absolutely not” the case.

Asked why she had not told her manager that she had health problems in December 1999, she said she did tell him she was suffering from stress and could not cope. “As far as I was concerned I wasn’t suffering from depression.”

The hearing before Mr Justice Vivian Lavan continues today.