“Working at Foxx & Co was slavery”: lady calls out Isilomo Braimoh over exploitation, unpaid salary

• A former staff of Foxx & Co has come forward with allegations of exploitation and unfair treatment by Isilomo Braimoh
• The ex-staff claimed she was overworked, unpaid, and subjected to a toxic work environment during her time at the fashion company

Following the allegations, Isilomo Braimoh responded to the claims, stating that her legal representative would address the issueIn a recent social media post, a former employee of Foxx & Co, the fashion company owned by Isilomo Braimoh, a former Big Brother Naija (BBN) housemate, has made serious allegations of unfair treatment and salary disputes.

The ex-employee, identified as Emma, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her experience at the company, detailing a series of troubling incidents that raised red flags well before her time there ended. 

She recounted her journey, starting with her application in 2024 to the fashion company just before heading to the National Youth Service Corps’ orientation camp. 

"Looking back, the red flags were glaring from the start, and I should have walked away. Here’s my experience," 

The applicant described the assessment process as unusually rigorous, stating she had to: “Create mood boards for vague themes (male & female looks). Write an essay of no less than 1,000 words. Develop a social media strategy for a brand with detailed engagement plans for each platform—all with a 3-day deadline.”

Despite the challenges, Emma completed the tasks and received the job offer. However, upon reviewing the contract, she noted,

"The contract came, and I was given just 3 days to sign—another red flag. That contract had signs!!!" 

With limited financial support from her NYSC PPA, which paid a meagre 25k, she felt compelled to proceed, believing this role aligned with her passion for fashion.

After signing the contract in April 2024, she experienced three months of inactivity without any engagement or work until July. During the initial team meeting, she was surprised to find only three people present, leading her to question, "Where was the rest of the team?" 

The situation escalated when Isilomo suddenly terminated the most experienced team member within a week, and shortly after, another colleague was also dismissed, leaving her to handle the workload alone.

Due to a N2 million fine clause, she couldn't disclose detailed aspects of her contract, though she mentioned it was commission-based, which meant she wasn’t receiving a salary. 

Further complicating matters, the restructuring of the company added to her responsibilities.

"She’d call at random hours—8 AM, 7 PM, even 10 PM—and expect me to jump into tasks immediately. It became overwhelming," Emma expressed. 

Despite feeling increasingly stressed by the job’s demand, she clung to the hope of gaining valuable experience and building connections in the fashion industry. However, the situation continued to deteriorate. 

She recounted an incident where she incurred expenses for an event they were supposed to attend, only for Isilomo to forget about it entirely. "I was pissed, my anxiety through the roof, and I was broke! I spent money I didn’t have!!" Emma said. 

Despite the promises in her contract, she was not reimbursed for any work-related expenses. After reaching her breaking point, she communicated her inability to continue under the current conditions. She claimed Isilomo's response was filled with empty promises.

The drama escalated when Isilomo hired an intern and promoted her from assistant to Operations manager, maintaining the unpaid status. Just before a planned attendance at GTCO Fashion, Isilomo abruptly cancelled but called the following morning, instructing her to be ready in 30 minutes.

Promising a monthly salary of N120k, Isilomo failed to pay her from that moment until her resignation.

 "She didn’t pay the intern either, only fed her the same empty promises!" she noted, expressing her frustration over the threat of replacement despite her hard work without compensation.

The situation culminated in December when she finally missed a call from Isilomo due to other commitments. Remarkably, she had already drafted her resignation letter months prior but hadn’t sent it until she could no longer endure the toxic environment. 

After resigning, she reached out multiple times to request her unpaid salary via emails and direct messages but received no response. Meanwhile, Isilomo appeared to continue her lifestyle on Instagram as if nothing had transpired. 

Emma described working at Foxx & Co as akin to slavery, —“Working at Foxx & Co was slavery” pointing out contractual clauses that granted Isilomo ownership of her intellectual work while preventing her from working with another fashion house for six months post-employment.

"I was not the first, and I will not be the last, but I hope this thread helps stop her from exploiting more people in the future,"

 she concluded, expressing concern over the potential repercussions of sharing her experience on social media.

In the aftermath of these allegations, Isilomo took to her Instagram story @king_isilomo to thank those who reached out to her and further stated that her legal representative would be addressing the controversy. 

Netizens weigh in on Isilomo's allegations of exploitation 

TheRadar compiled some reactions below;

@ChuksOhaxx commented: “If you have worked with a female boss you will definitely understand that most female bosses are not good people. Sorry for your experience” 

@i_am_dexterous commented: “I’ve always wondered about people that continue to go to work after 2 paychecks are already owed. I wish employers like this nothing but ruin. I hope a bigger person like her clients, the state, or federal government stumps her out.”

@mcnun commented: “How old is the company? How transparent is she with the company’s financial position? Did the company truly make money and she just decided not to pay? How long did you work with her? Did you complete all tasks as at when due?

It is tough for entrepreneurs in Nigeria.”

@Akingbade2 commented: Honestly, Isi missed a golden opportunity as she should have organized a special session for you to confess your sins, give your life to her, and accept her as your lord and personal saviour. Who knows? Maybe that was written in your employment contract all along tho.”

@the_lawrenz commented: “Horrible boss. Damn.” 

@TOBISPACE2 commented: “Honestly. They'd try to take control of your life and play victim. Something similar almost occurred.. I planned my own properly, she was like you can just leave me.. pele oh😂. I blocked her ASAP 😂” 

@AUNTYMUSE_ commented: “Horrible people are Horrible people, Glad you came out to say your truth”

@maintishe commented: “Me I went to go find the ig page of the business and insult her further, but she don off her comments. I love Twitter😂😂😂 they’ve been changing it for her since morning”

@voosiki commented: “Sorry you had to go through this. Since she already breached the contract I'm not sure she has a hold on you if you go ahead to use your works” 

Hilda Baci in mud over Dapper Records controversy

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Nigerian chef and restauranteur, Hilda Effiong Bassey known as Hilda Baci, and the former holder of the Guinness World Record for marathon cooking (cook-athon) found herself at the centre of a heated controversy after her fiancé, Damilola Akinwunmi, aka Dapper, was accused of exploitation and mismanagement of funds by two former artistes, Shallipopi and Muyeez, on his record label, Dapper Music and Entertainment Limited. 

This resulted to netizens' reaction to the allegations, citing Hilda Baci's engagement in the wealth mismanagement.