EMPLOYERS who threaten to cut their employers’ salary, or deduct the number of days of medical leave taken by staff with symptoms of the H1N1 flu from their annual leave, have been warned that they are flouting labour laws.

 

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary general G. Rajasekaran said employers do not have the
right to take such action on employees with flu symptoms who have been recommended to be quarantined at home by doctors.

“The employee has the right to be paid for the number of days they are off,” he said.

Rajasekaran said it was wrong for employers to think of saving the company some money when it is the welfare
of their employees that should be the priority.

“This might encourage workers to come to work and pretend to be okay, for fear of losing their salary or have
their annual leave deducted,” he said.

“As a result, they put their own colleagues at risk of being infected. You try to save money by deducting one
employee’s wages, and as a result 20 other employees get infected and fall sick.

"Eventually, it is the employers that are at the losing end. It’s a case of being penny wise and pound foolish.”

Rajasekaran added that employers should be more civic-conscious and help the country in its efforts to curtail
the spread of A (H1N10).

“Self-quarantine is a compulsory step in the fight to curb the spread of the A (H1N1) virus,” said Rajasekaran. “An employer should understand the importance of this practice.”

Rajasekaran said that it is stated in the Malaysian Employment Act that employees are fully entitled to paid
sick leave, provided that it is endorsed by a registered medical practitioner.

He urged workers who have had their pay deducted for not coming to work because doctors have ordered them to be quarantined, to lodge a report with their employees’ union.

“In the event that the company does not have a union, they can go to the nearest labourdepartment to lodge their complaint,” Rajasekaran added.