Fresh complaints have emerged against Maidess World Limited, the company behind the cosmetics brand Dess Cosmetics, with former workers alleging questionable recruitment practices, unexplained salary reductions and poor treatment of employees.
The allegations, paint a picture of a workplace where employees say they are left vulnerable from the moment they are hired until the day they leave.
According to a former employee, job seekers are first referred to the company through an individual identified only as Omolo, who allegedly acts as a recruitment agent. The complainant claims applicants are then handed over to members of the company's Human Resource department, identified as Violet and Pascalia, before beginning work.
The whistleblower alleges that every new employee is first required to complete a seven day probation period, during which they are promised KSh500 per day. The complainant claims workers are told that payment for the trial period depends entirely on whether they are eventually retained.
According to the source, those who are not offered employment allegedly leave without receiving any payment for the seven days they have already worked.
If true, the allegation raises questions about compliance with Kenya's labour laws governing payment for work performed.
The complainant says they were among those who successfully completed the trial period and secured employment. They expected to settle into the role they had been recruited for.
Instead, they allege they were assigned additional responsibilities that effectively required them to perform the work of two employees at the same time.
When they raised concerns about the increased workload, they claim management responded with threats of dismissal or transfer to another work station.
According to the whistleblower, they accepted a transfer rather than risk losing their income.
The complainant says they later performed well enough for senior management to recall them to the main office and assign them administrative duties.
The employment relationship allegedly deteriorated after the employee experienced a personal emergency.
The whistleblower says they informed the company by email that they would report late after the sudden death of a friend's child. According to the complainant, the incident later became a police matter, making it impossible to return to work as planned.
When they reported back the following day, the employee claims the explanation was dismissed.
The complainant alleges that a Human Resource officer responded by saying, "The child died, so the child died," before informing them that their employment had come to an end.
The whistleblower says they were instructed to write a letter explaining why disciplinary action should not be taken and return the following day.
They claim they were later asked to complete pending reports before meeting Human Resources again at 4.00 pm.
According to the complainant, when the meeting finally took place, they were allegedly told they would only be contacted if the company still needed their services.
The employee says they picked up their belongings and left.
The whistleblower also raises broader concerns about employment practices within the company.
According to the complaint, one employee was allegedly dismissed because management considered the person's dressing to be "too poor."
The complainant further alleges that salary agreements frequently change after recruitment.
According to the source, applicants are verbally promised KSh25,000 during recruitment, only to later discover that the amount has allegedly been reduced to KSh20,000, with some employees ultimately receiving about KSh16,000 at the end of the month.
The whistleblower also alleges that employees who report to work at 9.01 am are fined KSh500.
Another serious allegation concerns statutory deductions.
The complainant claims the company deducts Social Health Authority (SHA) and National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions from employees' salaries but that some workers later discover no remittances reflected in their accounts.
This allegation has not been independently verified.
The whistleblower also alleges that the recruitment agent later demands a share of employees' salaries after they begin work.
According to the complaint, the agent allegedly requires workers to surrender half of their first month's salary over two instalments.
The complainant believes many job seekers agree because they fear losing employment opportunities.
The allegations raise important questions about recruitment practices, employee welfare and compliance with Kenya's employment laws.
The State Department for Labour and Skills Development, Social Health Authority, National Social Security Fund, and other relevant agencies may be expected to investigate if evidence suggests violations of labour or statutory obligations.
Below is the complaint received.
Hello Cyprian,
I would like to warn job seekers about my experience working at a company operating under the registered name Maidess World, but commonly known as Dess Cosmetics.
The recruitment process begins through an agent identified as Omolo, who connects applicants to the company's HR officers, identified as Violet and Pascalia. New employees are required to undergo a seven-day probation period, during which they are promised KSh500 per day. However, we are told that if the company decides not to retain you after the trial, you leave without receiving any payment for the days worked.
In my case, I qualified and was retained. Shortly afterwards, I was assigned responsibilities outside the position I had been hired for and ended up performing the duties of two employees simultaneously. When I raised concerns about the workload, I was threatened with dismissal or forced transfer to another branch. Fearing that I would lose my job and not be paid, I accepted the transfer. Ironically, after performing well, management later recalled me to the main office to focus on administrative duties.
The work environment became even more discouraging after I experienced a personal emergency involving the death of a friend's child. I informed HR through email that I would report late because I was helping the family. When I reported to work the following day, I was told, "Si mtoto alikufa, alikufa basi," before being informed that my employment had been terminated. I was instructed to write an explanation letter, return the following day, complete pending reports and wait for a decision. After keeping me waiting until the end of the day, I was simply told that I would be contacted if my services were needed again. I left feeling humiliated and dismissed without any proper explanation.
From what I witnessed, another employee was dismissed because management felt she "dressed like a poor person."
There are also concerns about how salaries are handled. Employees are promised KSh25,000, only for the amount to gradually reduce to KSh20,000 and eventually KSh16,000 without clear explanation. Staff who report even one minute late are allegedly fined KSh500.
The company also claims to deduct NSSF and SHA contributions from employees' salaries. However, several employees who checked their records found that no remittances had been made despite the deductions.
The recruitment agent is also said to demand a significant portion of an employee's first salary, allegedly requiring workers to surrender half of their first month's salary in two instalments, while repeatedly demanding payment after employees receive their wages.
I am sharing my experience to caution other job seekers to exercise due diligence before accepting employment under these arrangements. I also call upon the Ministry of Labour, NSSF and SHA to investigate these practices and establish whether employees' rights and statutory obligations are being respected.
Please be careful before accepting a job under these terms.