Jamaica’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is often celebrated as one of the country’s greatest development success stories. Government officials and industry leaders frequently highlight the thousands of jobs created, growing foreign investment, and the industry’s contribution to economic growth. On paper, the story appears to be one of economic empowerment and opportunity.

Yet, another story is emerging- one told by the workers themselves. One call centre worker described the job as “working in a sweatshop.” Another explained that she had to mentally prepare herself every day to “put on a work persona” just to get through her shift. A pregnant employee recalled being locked out of her workstation after taking a bathroom break because her performance was measured by the number of calls she could answer. In March 2026, several workers were hospitalised following chemical exposure at a call centre facility.

These are not isolated complaints. They are part of a broader pattern that raises an important question: What happens when we stop measuring development by the number of jobs created and start listening to the people doing those jobs?

As a Black Jamaican researcher from a rural community, I wanted to better understand the realities of work in an industry that is so often presented as a national success. My research examined newspaper articles, televised news reports, and workers’ testimonies spanning nearly a decade. Caribbean document analysis as an under-utilized research method that is necessary for social transformation. Rather than focusing only on government policies or economic statistics, I centred the voices of workers whose experiences are rarely included in conversations about Jamaican development strategies.

Across dozens of media reports and workers’ testimonies, pertinent concerns appeared repeatedly. Workers spoke about low wages that struggled to meet the rising cost of living, long shifts without adequate breaks, emotional exhaustion from dealing with demanding customers, invasive workplace surveillance, and fears of losing their jobs if they spoke openly about working conditions. Others described difficulties accessing health benefits, pressure to work while ill, and management practices that left them feeling monitored rather than supported.

These experiences suggest that many of the challenges facing workers are not simply the result of individual employers. Instead, they reflect broader questions about the kind of development Jamaica is pursuing and who ultimately benefits from it.

For decades, Jamaica has relied on export-oriented industries and foreign investment to stimulate economic growth. The BPO sector has become a key part of that strategy, attracting multinational companies by promoting a skilled English-speaking workforce and competitive labour costs. While this model has undoubtedly created employment opportunities, workers’ testimonies reveal that job creation alone cannot be the only measure of successful development.

Development should also be evaluated by the quality of work people experience every day. Do jobs provide financial security? Do workers feel respected? Are workplaces safe? Can people support themselves and their families with dignity? These questions matter just as much as investment figures and employment statistics.

Listening to workers also reveals how dignity can become invisible within public discussions about economic success. When development is measured primarily through growth and competitiveness, the emotional and physical experiences of workers can easily disappear from view. Yet these experiences tell us something essential about whether development is improving people’s lives.

Importantly, workers are not passive victims. Call centre workers are resisting oppression. By sharing their experiences through newspaper interviews, letters to editors, television reports, and social media platforms, they are creating their own record of labour conditions in Jamaica. These testimonies challenge official narratives that encourage workers simply to be grateful for employment, regardless of the conditions under which that work is performed. Instead, workers insist that decent work must include respect, safety, fair treatment, and recognition of their humanity.

Listening to these voices does not mean rejecting economic development or foreign investment. Rather, it means asking more difficult questions about what meaningful development should look like. A development model that depends upon exhausted, underpaid, or disposable workers cannot be considered sustainable. Economic growth and human dignity should never be competing goals.

As researchers, policymakers, employers, and citizens, we have an opportunity to broaden the conversation about development. Development is not only about attracting investors or increasing employment numbers. It is also about ensuring that the people whose labour sustains the economy are able to live healthy, secure, and dignified lives.

Perhaps the most important lesson from my research is a simple one: workers have been telling us what development looks like from their perspective. We only need to listen.

References

Jamaica Gleaner (2019). BPO conditions worse than slavery. Letter to the Editor. Available from https://past.jamaica-gleaner.com/article/letters/20190831/bpo-work-conditions-akin-slavery

Jamaica Gleaner. (2020). Mandeville call centre worker gripped with fear. Available from https://past.jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20200415/mandeville-call-centre-worker-gripped-fear

Jamaica Gleaner. (2023). BPO Jobs grow beyond 60,000. Available from

https://www.pressreader.com/jamaica/jamaica-gleaner/20230521/281921662408406

Jamaica Observer. (2022). BPO Conditions- Sweatshop! Letters to the Editor. Available from

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2022/02/21/sweatshop/

Jamaica Observer. (2022). Not Enough. Available from

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2022/05/14/not-enough-20231024-0125-019598/

Television News Jamaica. (2026). Calling Out Foul Play: Former Call Centre Workers Talk Realities in the BPO Sector. YouTube. Available from here.

Television News Jamaica. (2026). Chemical Reaction: Call Centre Workers Rushed to the Hospital. YouTube. Available from here.

Tina Renier is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the Global Social Challenges Journal and a UNESCO Policy Lab Expert. This blog is a creative form of her international research conference presentation at the 8th Critical Race, Indigenous and Feminist Studies Conference about constructing and resisting erasure at Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada in April 2026. Tina’s research focuses on global development strategies and their impact on labour conditions in Jamaica. Courtesy

https://www.globalresearch.ca/what-happens-when-we-listen-jamaica-call-centre-workers/5935484