Disclaimer: Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak,UiTM
This material may be protected under Malaysia Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies, reproductions or copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized materials for study or research.
Amendments to Employment Act 1955 to ensure safety for those working from
home
By Nuradzimmah Daim - October 27, 2021 @ 5:47pm
11
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said the existing law, which covered the employers’ responsibility to ensure safety and welfare of the employers, could be applied to WFH that has become the norm in the global workforce. - NSTP/FAIZ ANUAR.
KUALA LUMPUR: Amendments to the Employment Act will cover employers' responsibility for the safety and welfare of staff working from home in work-from- home (WFH) setting, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Disclaimer: Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak,UiTM
This material may be protected under Malaysia Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies, reproductions or copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized materials for study or research.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said the existing law, which covered the employers' responsibility to ensure safety and welfare of the employers, could be applied to WFH that has become the norm in the global workforce.
However, employers' responsibilities were limited to work-related activities within their control and subjected to the nature of work, he said.
"WFH is now the norm in the global workforce. The ministry has included
amendments to the Employment Act 1955 on flexible work (method) that would be tabled for the second reading in the meeting to be held between Dec 14 and 16," he said.
He said this in his winding-up speech during the debate on the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Bill 2020, following a query by Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH- Pokok Sena).
On a separate matter, Saravanan said the government would not compromise with employers who failed to provide a safe and conducive living environment to their workers, which he described as modern-day slavery.
"We will take stern action (against errant employers) as it has affected our image at the international level. Malaysia has been downgraded to Tier 3 from Tier 2 (in this year's Trafficking in Persons report)."
Datuk Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli (PH-Lumut) and Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH- Kuala Selangor), had earlier highlighted a recent import ban on products by a country imposed on a Malaysian company due to abusive working and living conditions, among others.
Saravanan said the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)
conducted over 100,000 enforcement actions between January and August, with 138 cases were brought to court for prosecution and a total of RM1.56 million fines issued.
Amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act 1994, among others, are aimed at extending the application of the law to all workplaces as well as
increasing penalties for errant employers who fail to ensure their employees' safety, health and welfare at the workplace.
Among the proposed amendments is an increased fine penalty from RM50,000 to RM500,000 under Section 19 for offences including failure of employers to formulate safety and health policies.
Amendment under Section 23 of the act sees an increase in penalty from RM20,000 to RM200,000 for violations under Sections 21 and 22 relating to the manufacturer's duty on plant and materials at the workplace.
Disclaimer: Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak,UiTM
This material may be protected under Malaysia Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies, reproductions or copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized materials for study or research.
The Dewan Rakyat later approved the Bill through a voice vote.
