A cloud of uncertainty and financial distress is hanging over a group of former contract workers who were deployed to Airtel Kenya through the human resources outsourcing firm Sheer Logic Management Consultants Limited, as these employees, whose contracts officially concluded on the thirtieth of June, now find themselves in a distressing situation where their final salary payments, including all accrued benefits and pending dues, have been withheld indefinitely.
Despite completing all clearance procedures and handing over company property, the workers have received no communication from Sheer Logic regarding the status of their payments. Their repeated emails go unanswered, and phone calls to the company's HR and payroll departments are either ignored or met with unhelpful responses from staff who claim they cannot assist. With each passing day, the affected employees grow more anxious as rent deadlines approach and household expenses mount.
The delay in payment has also raised concerns about whether Sheer Logic remitted their statutory deductions, including contributions to the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), which could affect their access to healthcare and future pension benefits.
Some of the affected workers have already started the process of lodging formal complaints with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, while others are considering legal action against the outsourcing firm to compel it to honour its obligations. They are now appealing to Sheer Logic to break its silence, explain the reason for the delay, and immediately process all outstanding payments.
Sheer Logic Management Consultants Limited has built a strong public image over the years, describing itself as an award-winning leader in recruitment, outsourcing, and training services across East Africa.
The company operates from its headquarters at View Park Towers in Nairobi and maintains a branch in Mombasa. It has long marketed itself as a trusted partner for both corporate clients and job seekers, promising fairness, professionalism, and timely payment for all contract staff.
The current treatment of these former Airtel workers, however, paints a very different picture, one that contradicts the firm's carefully crafted reputation.
What makes the situation even more frustrating for the affected employees is the complete absence of any explanation.
They understand that administrative delays can sometimes occur, and they would have been willing to exercise patience if Sheer Logic had only communicated with them openly.
A simple acknowledgment of their emails or a timeline for when they might expect their payments would have gone a long way in easing their anxiety.
Instead, the company has chosen to remain silent, leaving the workers in the dark and forcing them to draw their own conclusions about the firm's intentions.
The role of Airtel Kenya in this dispute has also come under scrutiny.
While the telecommunications company is not the direct employer of these workers, it engaged Sheer Logic as its outsourcing partner and bears some responsibility for ensuring that the firm treats its staff fairly.
It remains unclear whether Airtel's management is aware of the predicament facing these former contract workers, or whether Sheer Logic has been transparent with its client about its failure to settle final dues.
The workers are now calling on Airtel to intervene and pressure Sheer Logic to release their payments promptly.
"Good afternoon Cyprian. Some of us have been working with Airtel under Sheerlogic Limited. Our contract ended on June 30th, and we cleared everything. Since then, they have refused to pay our final dues, and they even refuse to respond to our emails or calls."
