The basic working hours of workers are 8 hours a day, but many of them are often scheduled to work more than 8 hours or stay up late by their bosses. The latest news! The government is going to adjust the maximum weekly working hours under the Employment Act from 48 hours to 45 hours on September 1.
According to Berita RTM, the Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Dato’ Awang Hahin, stated that the maximum working hours per week under the Employment Act 1955 will be changed from 48 hours to 45 hours. At the same time, he also introduced “flexi-work” in the amendment to the Employment Act in order to protect the welfare of employees and allow them to have better working hours. This amendment means that employees will be able to request flexible work arrangements from their employers, including working from home in case of emergencies such as the COVID-19 epidemic, according to the appropriate working hours, days or workplace.
Simply put, employees are free to adjust the length of their working hours. In addition, employers can arrange to set the number of hours worked per day and the number of days worked per week for their employees based on the suitability of their company’s operations. If an employer requires an employee to work more than 45 hours per week, it is a violation of employment law.
The Employment (Amendment) Act 2022 will come into effect on September 1. If an employee wishes to work flexibly, he or she must first submit a formal written request to the employer, clearly listing the hours, days and location of work for the employer to know. Upon receipt of the employee’s application, the employer must give a reply within 60 days to accept or reject the application, and if the employer chooses to reject the employee’s application, it must give reasonable reasons. What do you all think about this latest adjustment to the employment law?
