Sack staff found to manipulate Covid test results, says MTUC
Its sec-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor adds bosses could do so under the Employment Act 1955 after carrying out a thorough probe.
MUHAMMAD YUSAINY MOHAMAD YUNUS21 Feb 2022 10:45am
MTUC urges employers to probe thoroughly before taking action
SHAH ALAM: Workers found to manipulate Covid-19 test results by claiming to be positive could cost them their jobs, the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) has said.
Its secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor added employers could sack staff under the Employment Act 1955 after carrying out thorough probe on the matter.
"If an employee takes advantage and cheats the RTK (Rapid Test Kit Antigen Test), we hope employers will take action," he told Sinar Harian, adding that it is not right for workers to cheat their results just to be absent from work.
On Feb 7, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said those found positive through RTK test do not have to undergo Real-Time Transcription-Polymerase (RT-PCR), and this is followed self-isolation as required by the ministry.
However, this has raised concerns over staffs cheating the test results. To prevent this, Kamarul Baharin urged bosses to send their workers to panel clinics for confirmation.
He added employers could issue a memo on the SOPs needed if staff is Covid positive.
Meanwhile academician Dr Idaya Husna Mohd of Universiti Teknologi Mara said employers have the right to instruct workers to carry out RT-PCR tests if assure an individual was Covid positive.
She said action could also be taken against staff who manipulate their test results in MySejahtera, an App set up by the government on Covid-19.
She said the staff can be sacked from work for cheating the test results and due to that advised employees not to do so.
