Paternity leave among issues in proposed amendments to Employment Act

Paternity leave, extended maternity leave and improvement of protection to address sexual harassment in the workplace are among issues to be given focus in the proposed amendments to the Employment Act 1955.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Awang Hashim said that the proposal to amend the Employment Act 1955 was to improve the minimum standard of employment, in line with the international labour standards.

"In addition, in effort to streamline the implementation of more flexible working hours in helping employees get a fair wage, the ministry also intends to create a new provision pertaining to flexible working arrangements under the Employment Act 1955, in accordance with new normal in the post-COVID-19.

"This provision will also detail the written request from the employee to the employer to change the terms and conditions of the employment in relation to the employee's flexibility working arrangement including working hours and days as well as the place of work based on certain conditions agreed by both the employer and employee," he said at a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said that the efforts could indirectly reduce the cost of an employee in carrying out their duties.

Awang said this in his reply to a question from Jugah Anak Muyang @ Tambat (Bebas-Lubok Antu) who wanted to know whether the government would study the labour law as well as reform on the labour market.

On Jugah's supplementary question on whether the government plans to offer better salaries to Malaysians, Awang said that thus far 56 city and municipal councils have implemented the RM1,200 minimum monthly wage and efforts to ensure that all parties to implement the same wage rate would continue.

-- BERNAMA