Saturday, March 15, 2025 - The passing of a Nigerian expatriate working for Teleperformance Kenya has reignited discussions on employee welfare in the content moderation industry.
The deceased, identified as a content moderator, reportedly
fell ill in late February, was granted sick leave, and later missed work before
being found unresponsive at her residence.
The incident has caused unease among employees, with some
expressing concerns about how the situation is being handled and what it could
mean for their job security.
In the wake of growing public debate, one colleague who
worked closely with the deceased shared a note offering personal reflections on
the demands of content moderation, the pressures of the job, and the
uncertainty now facing employees.
"Content moderation is not an easy job. Even for
myself, I don’t plan to stay here for more than two years, I’m saving to start
my own business or maybe get another better job. That said, Teleperformance is
a great company to work for, better than my previous employer who didn't pay us
any close to what I earn today. As for Ladi, she got unwell due to a personal
matter she didn’t want to disclose to other colleagues. It’s unfortunate that
some are using this case to jeopardize our jobs and opportunities," the
colleague stated.
Teleperformance, which is contracted by TikTok to provide
content moderation services, issued a statement saying it had been in close
contact with the deceased's family and authorities.
The company called for privacy and stated that it had
answered all questions from the relevant officials.
"We have been in contact with the employee's family,
and our priority is to provide all the necessary support to them as well as our
employees in Nairobi, who may be affected by this tragedy,"
Teleperformance stated.
Addressing concerns raised by some employees and advocacy
groups, the company denied claims that Ladi had been denied leave, terming such
allegations as baseless.
"We have been in close communication with local
authorities. While we understand that curiosity and speculation can arise from
such unfortunate circumstances, we are unable to provide further details and
instead ask that interested parties reach out to the authorities. Any claims
that the employee was denied leave are baseless and not true," the company
added.
Teleperformance also rejected suggestions that employees had
been prohibited from discussing the matter.
The company stated that it had only urged them to avoid
speculation and to respect the family’s privacy.
It reaffirmed that it had expanded access to counselling and
emotional support, allowing affected employees to seek assistance.
The company also announced plans to commission an
independent review of its Nairobi operations to examine workplace matters.
It stated that the process would be handled by a third
party.
"We will launch an independent investigation into our
operations in Nairobi to better understand these issues and implement
appropriate solutions," the company said.
Teleperformance reaffirmed its commitment to employee
wellness, pointing out its 24/7 counselling services, wellness breaks, and a
counsellor-to-moderator ratio of 1:38, which it stated was better than the
industry average of 1:75.
The company, recently listed among Fortune’s Top 5 Best
Workplaces, also pointed out that its pay scale was four to five times higher
than Kenya’s statutory minimum wage.
While concerns over mental health in the content moderation
industry continue, the company insists that its wellness programmes meet and
exceed industry standards.
Labour advocates have called for stronger protections, and
the incident has reignited broader discussions on how best to safeguard workers
in this field.
Investigations are ongoing, as authorities await
confirmation on whether the family of the deceased will consent to the release
of post-mortem results issued by the police.
Colleagues of the deceased gathered for a memorial on Friday evening to pay their last respects.
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