Employers advised to give leave to Baling flood victims

BALING - The Human Resources Ministry is urging employers to provide leave to their employees affected by the floods and the water head phenomenon in Baling.

Human Resources Deputy Minister Datuk Awang Hashim said the heads of departments were expected to consider giving leave to flood victims to enable them to make post-flood management.

“They (workers) cannot even work, eat or seek shelter because their houses are covered in high piles of sludge.

“So, we want them to focus on cleaning work first and then be able to come to work with high spirits and increased productivity,” he said.

He said this at the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Contribution Handover Programme to flood victims at the Surau An-Nur Temporary Evacuation Center (PPS) here on Friday.

Awang, who is the Pendang MP, also asked for private employers to give paid leave to flood victims in the district.

He said employers need to talk to employees and give them time to return to the office.

“Even if he (employee) comes to work, he has no heart to work because he is thinking about the situation at home, his wife and children, eating and drinking and the scattered house.

“So I hope the employers give them paid leave. Do not cut their salary and if there is a problem, submit a complaint through the Working For Workers (WFW) application.

"God willing, we will take immediate action to investigate and give an opinion so that it does not affect employers and employees," he said.

When asked to comment on whether action can be taken against employers if they do not cooperate, Awang said, the ministry have asked the employees to lodge a complaint through the application before any action is taken.

He said the names of employees who reported their employers through the application would also be kept a secret.