Employees attached to a leading marketing and merchandising agency in the region, have come forward to decry what they describe as a pattern of poor labour treatment and neglect, even as the company continues to post steady growth and work with prominent clients.
The complaints, primarily raised by merchandisers engaged through Treasure Communications Limited , revolve around low salaries, insufficient allowances, and unsustainable route assignments that do not reflect prevailing transport and economic realities. Merchandisers at Treasure Communications say they are underpaid, overworked, and denied basic rights such as payslips, even as the agency continues to grow across East Africa.
Workers allege that they are routinely dispatched to distant or demanding locations but are not facilitated adequately to meet logistical expenses, leading many to spend out-of-pocket to complete their assigned duties.
The issue of transparency in pay has also emerged as a key grievance, with several merchandisers claiming they are not issued payslips and are often left in the dark regarding how their earnings are calculated or deducted.
In addition, workers have also reported being compelled to purchase expired or near-expiry products from clients’ stock, even when such goods were delivered to them with limited shelf life.
Several also say they work full days on weekends without any additional pay or compensation, adding that this expectation contradicts the nature of support roles which should include time for rest and recovery.
The complaints emerge at a time when Treasure Communications continues to expand its operations across Kenya and the broader East African region.
The company works with over 20 major clients and manages a large workforce comprised of both permanent and contracted employees.
While the agency has positioned itself as a key player in merchandising and marketing support, those tasked with delivering its day-to-day assignments are reporting conditions that many say are untenable given the rising cost of living and lack of fair compensation structures.
Treasure Communications, whose headquarters are located in Nairobi, had not issued a response to the specific allegations by the time of publication. "Hey Nyakundi. There is this agency called Treasure. The agency is very big making a lot of profits from its well-known clients Supa Loaf Pepsi Mini Bakers and Ajab. But let me shock you the salary they pay to their workers especially merchandisers I can tell you they are really struggling. From salaries to allowances and being forced to go to a route they can't even afford with the same allowance with the current economy. Leave alone that the guys also are never given their payslips. They are forced to buy the expiries others which might have been delivered short expiry. Imagine also weekends they work full day. And it's a big agency. Kindly address they are really struggling," one of the affected employees wrote us.