It is difficult enough that a lot of Malaysians are either getting their salary cut or worse; getting retrenched because of the pandemic. But to have the Work From Home order be used as an excuse not to be paid full is something that should not even be considered. According to MEF Executive Director Shamsuddin Bardan, as reported by Malaysiakini, It is unreasonable for employers to give full salaries and allowances to employees who need to work from home.
He explained that this was because productivity was definitely affected when staff worked from home and many companies are still facing cash flow problems faced by companies following the Covid-19 outbreak. He said,
“To instruct employers to pay salaries and full allowances is unreasonable and does not follow the concept of ‘there is work there is salary, there is no work there is no salary’. We (employers) do not force employees to take annual leave. But if employees refuse to take annual leave and expect full pay when they sit at home and have no work to do, what is the basis for such instructions given?”
He also mentioned that although annual leave or unpaid leave should not be forced on employees, all parties need to understand that not all work can be done at home. For us, if the work cannot be done at home, then like it or not, the worker needs to be in the office with proper paperwork and SOPs. Each and every one of us, whether a boss or a worker is suffering financially from the pandemic. Hence it would be better if we discuss and figure out the best way that will benefit both parties.
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