Fresh concerns have emerged over the treatment of former employees of Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK), with ex staff claiming they have gone seven months without receiving their terminal dues despite completing the required clearance process after their contracts ended.
The allegations, come months after previous complaints by former employees regarding the organisation's labour practices.
According to the whistleblower, several employees had their contracts terminated in December following earlier public complaints about workplace issues.
The complainant alleges that during the separation process, one of the directors dismissed concerns over unpaid dues by telling employees to "go to Cyprian Nyakundi" if they wanted to be paid.
The former employee says all the affected staff completed the organisation's clearance process and were informed that their terminal benefits would be processed within one month.
Seven months later, the complainant claims many former employees are still waiting.
According to the whistleblower, repeated attempts to contact FHOK management have yielded no response.
The complainant alleges that phone calls go unanswered, emails are ignored and some former employees believe their contacts have been blocked, leaving them without any avenue to follow up on their payments.
The whistleblower also raises concerns about the FHOK Kisumu Clinic.
According to the complainant, new staff were recruited after the previous employees left. The whistleblower further alleges that the facility was later closed by government authorities after inspections reportedly identified concerns about the suitability of the working environment for clinical operations, including occupational safety issues.
The former employee says the continued delay in paying terminal dues has placed many affected workers under financial strain.
Some have reportedly gone for months without income despite having fulfilled all the requirements expected of them when leaving the organisation.
Employees say they are not asking for special treatment.
They simply want the organisation to honour its obligations and pay them what they earned before their employment came to an end.
The concerns now place responsibility on the leadership of Family Health Options Kenya, including its Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, and Human Resources Department, to explain why former employees who completed the clearance process are still allegedly waiting for their terminal dues.
The matter may also warrant the attention of the State Department for Labour and Skills Development, whose labour officers are responsible for resolving employment disputes and enforcing Kenya's labour laws.
If there were regulatory concerns regarding the Kisumu clinic, the Ministry of Health and other relevant regulatory agencies may also be expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the facility.
Below is the complaint received.
Hello Cyprian. Kindly hide my identity.
I am appealing for your help once again regarding Family Health Options Kenya. After our contracts were terminated in December, we completed the clearance process and were told our terminal dues would be paid within one month.
It has now been seven months and many of us have still not been paid. Management no longer responds to our calls or emails, and some of us believe our contacts have been blocked.
We are also concerned about what happened at the FHOK clinic in Kisumu after new staff were recruited. We are asking the organisation to explain why former employees remain unpaid and to settle the money owed to us.