HR Minister: Employers Should Grant Leave To Employees Taking Covid-19 Vaccine Shot

Malaysia’s Minister of Human Resources (HR), Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has urged all employers within the country to grant leave to any of their employees when the latter is scheduled to take their Covid-19 vaccination shot. As reported by national news agency Bernama, Saravanan urged employers to do so as to give confidence to Malaysians of the safety of the vaccine and ease worries about the jab affecting their work.

Saravanan further clarified that his ministry is unable to declare it as a special holiday as it is impossible because not all vaccination shots are done on the same day. Hence, it is up to the employer to provide leave for their employees.

Recently, Coordinating Minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin met with Saravanan to discuss several suggestions raised by the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV). These include giving leave to employees who are taking their vaccine shots.

The HR minister was quoted of saying the above during a media conference after attending the launch of Functional Adaptive Clothing by Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) in Kuala Lumpur today. During the event, 1,000 sets of functional adaptive clothing which was specially designed to give flexibility to ease people with disabilities would be distributed to non-governmental organisations (NGO) nationwide before it is commercialised.

What do you guys think of Saravanan’s suggestion of employers giving leave to employees for vaccination shots? Should the HR minister make the leave compulsory instead of making it up to employers? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

 

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