Alright everyone, back to your offices…
The Health Minister just came out with a statement that there’s no order for employees to work from home just yet.
Photo: The Star
According to The Star, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad said that Malaysia will not instruct employees to work from home in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, as there is no such necessity for now.
There have been calls to allow workers to work remotely from their homes - but such a decision is left to the discretion of the employers.
“At the moment, we are not at the stage which warrants such a move. Even though some countries have decided to implement this, we will not simply follow them. Our decisions are based on assessments by our experts at the CPRC (Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre) and we assess the situation on a daily basis,” he said.
“What we decided to implement will be based on the interests of our own country,” Dr. Dzulkefly said during a press conference.
However, the government will implement such measures in the future if it is deemed necessary for the well-being and safety of Malaysians.
The Human Resources Ministry said that employees who were ordered to be quarantined due to the coronavirus must be given sick leave by the employers.
A set of guidelines of the 2019-nCov released by the ministry stated that employees cannot be asked to utilise their annual leave entitlement or take unpaid leave during the quarantine period.
“Employers must provide paid sick leave or hospitalisation entitlement during the quarantine period to employees receiving orders from registered medical practitioners, regardless whether the employee is quarantined at home or at the hospital,” stated in the guideline.
If you are feeling unwell, or have flu-like symptoms that goes on for more than two weeks - please go and visit the doctor, okay? Take care!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
