“Hii sio 8 to 5”: Kenyan lady laments after employer releases her at 10pm

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- A Kenyan woman identified as Kim filmed herself walking home alone at 10 pm after being held at work far beyond her contracted hours

- Kim's employment contract states 8 am to 5 pm working hours, but she says the company enforces strict reporting time while ignoring departure time

- Her TikTok video sparked a wave of responses from Kenyans who shared their own experiences with exploitative working conditions

A Kenyan woman has sparked a heated online conversation after she filmed herself walking home alone at night following a gruelling shift that ended well past her contracted hours.

The woman, identified as Kim, posted a TikTok video of herself on a dark road at 10:46 pm, visibly frustrated after leaving work at an hour she described as unreasonable and unsafe.

When the contract means nothing at closing time

Kim explained that her employment terms clearly outline an 8 am to 5 pm working day, yet that agreement appears to apply in only one direction.

The company, she said, is rigid about when employees must arrive but applies no such discipline to when they are allowed to leave.

"Employers, you need to be serious. Do you know what time it is that I am getting off work? It is 10 pm. I know some people will say this is a lie; it is exactly 22.46 as you can see on my phone, and I am just heading home from work," Kim said in the video. "If I am late, you make it an issue, and you are the ones keeping us late until at night, to be honest."

She also pointed out that a colleague could be seen in the background making the same walk home, and that whenever staff raised concerns, management dismissed them without consideration.

Kim further noted in her caption that the situation runs from Monday to Monday with no day off, and that the company still takes 46 minutes of employees' time for other activities on top of the extended hours.

"That over there is my colleague also heading home and when we complain about it you don't listen, this is not fair," she added.

Her call was direct: employers should take responsibility for the safety of staff who are forced to commute late at night as a result of decisions made in the office.

Kenyans share their own workplace struggles

The video drew a flood of responses from Kenyans who recognised the situation from their own working lives.

Shiru:

"kuna hawa wa electronics tao Monday to Monday unafungua 7 asubuhi unaenda home saa tatu na si aty ni bank breaking salaries."

Valentine Ndolo:

"Mimi let me brag about my God, niliwai amkanga four am nitoke kwa nyumba by four something nitembee adi stage napanda gari at around five something by six sharp nafaa kuwa job kufika home ilikuwanga 9,10 pm. Salary was less than 10k. I started praying to God about a good job, a good boss, few colleagues, a peaceful working environment, off ya two days a week, favourable working hrs and good payment. This year God blessed me with exactly what I prayed for."

Patrick:

"I reduced my working hours for my staff and started giving them commission on sales."

Chichi:

"I work 8-5, but I can't remember even a single day I've ever reported at 8 or left at 5."

Natasha:

"Na sisi wenye hutoka saa nane usiku kazi tunafika home around 3:30 am na bado maybe next day mko na meeting ya 7:30 am."

Mwaneitura:

"I worked 16 hrs for 17 years…that's fighting poverty..I look back proudly and would still go back n work same."

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.