EMPLOYERS must provide paid sick leave to employees receiving quarantine orders from registered medical practitioners due to coronavirus, Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran (picture) said.
“To provide paid sick leave or hospitalisation entitlement during the quarantine period to employees receiving orders from registered medical practitioners, regardless if the employee is quarantined at home or at the hospital.
“Employers are encouraged to provide extra remuneration to employees with quarantine order exceeding sick leave or hospitalisation,” Kulasegaran said in a statement yesterday.
The Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia under the Ministry of Human Resources has released guidelines on handling issues related to contagious outbreaks, including the 2019 novel coronavirus.
It noted that among the most common enquiries are regarding employers preventing employees from attending work, especially those returning from countries with coronavirus cases, namely China, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Kulasegaran added that employers are expected to instruct employees to be examined immediately by a registered medical practitioner or officer as stipulated by Section 60F of Employment Act 1955.
Employers are also advised to provide full pay to employees receiving quarantine orders from registered medical practitioners upon arrival from countries with coronavirus cases.
“Employers are also asked to not prevent any employees from attending work if no quarantine orders are issued by any registered medical practitioner.
“However, employers are allowed to instruct any unwell employee from coming to workplace by providing paid sick leave to the employee,” he said.
He added that lastly employers are also asked to not instruct employees to utilise annual leave entitlement or take unpaid leave during quarantine period.
Malaysia confirmed two more cases (as at press time) involving its citizens yesterday, making it 12 reported cases in the country so far.
