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{
    "id": 1160473,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1160473/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 119,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, I beg to move that the Employment (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bills No.54 of 2021), be read a second time. This is an Act of Parliament to amend the Employment Act to provide for the right to disconnect; the right of employees to have their personal time and privacy respected and for connected purposes. COVID-19 introduced the concept of virtual meetings and engagements. With the onset of technology, nowadays, you will find that people suffer from fatigue and are spending less quality time with the family. Technology has led to employees being called late at midnight and yet some of them are non-essential staff. Most of these issues have led to break-down of families and lack of quality time. As we know, any serious foundation is built on protection of family values. We appreciate what technology has done to revolutionize the work environment and that is why the Standing Orders in this House were amended to introduce hybrid sittings in the House. However, when your boss calls you at night - especially if it is of the opposite gender - you might need to give a proper explanation to your spouse as to who that person is. Let us learn to disconnect from work after working hours. The bosses should not have a leeway after working hours unless it is essential. Sen. Wambua has worked in media while my brother, Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri, the next governor of Kisii County, has worked as a medic. Some people can argue that medics offer essential services so they may be on call. I do not know whether media or the fourth estate are also on call. We need to disconnect after work, protect our families and ensure they get quality time. When you are on leave, you need to be protected from overzealous bosses. You are on leave in the village somewhere in Bungoma or Nandi taking care of cows, and your boss calls you back to work in Nairobi or Mombasa. The purpose and intention of this amendment is to ensure that you are protected from overzealous and overexcited bosses in our work place especially to Kenyan employees. When this amendment was gazetted, some people were commenting on social media that I am proposing watu wapige sherehe bila kusumbuliwa . It was misconstrued. What I meant is that we need to disconnect. This law does not allow those on call or working in the emergency services to disconnect. The misinterpretation I saw on social media is that people offering essential services will be doing weekend getaways. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I propose that the Employment Act be amended by inserting the following new section after Section 27 where we have been provided for the hours of"
}