Employers Can’t Force Pay Cuts & Unpaid Leaves During WFH Period, Says HR Ministry

Starting 22 October, almost one million workers in Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya begin their work from home period due to the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and to control the spread of Covid-19 within the community.

While workers are still confused about which sectors are allowed to work in their office and the long time repercussions of working from home, the Human Resources Ministry reassured that the welfare of workers will be of utmost priority during the work from home period.

In a statement, Human Resources Minister, Datuk Seri Saravanan, said that during this period, workers’ pay should be the same and employers can’t force or request their employees to use their annual leaves or take unpaid leave.

This is in line with the statement released by the Human Resources Ministry on March this year due to the Movement Control Order (MCO). However, employers can discuss with their employees for a decision that’s best for all.

In his live press conference yesterday (21 October), Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri clarified that the work from home directive yesterday ONLY applies to those in the industrial and public sectors. Other sectors including food, grocery stores and security can continue to operate as usual.

Also read: “Work From Home ONLY For Public & Industrial Sectors” Defence Minister Clarifies After Much Confusion