Govt’s guidelines on handling virus issues

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has issued guidelines on how to handle issues pertaining to contagious outbreaks, including the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019nCoV).

Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said the Labour Department in Peninsular Malaysia has been bombarded with questions regarding issues on employment related to the cluster virus.

“The most common enquiry is regarding employers preventing employees from attending work, especially those returning from countries with 2019-nCoV cases such as China, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said in a statement.

In this light, the minister said, employers are to follow the following guidelines. To instruct employees to be examined, at the expense of the employer, by a registered medical practitioner or by a medical officer as stipulated by Section 60F of the Employment Act 1955. To provide paid sick leave or hospitalisation entitlement during the quarantine period to employees receiving quarantine orders from a registered medical practitioner, regardless of the employee being quarantined at home or at the hospital. Employers are encouraged to provide extra remuneration to employees with quarantine order exceeding sick leave or require hospitalisation.

To provide full salaries to employees quarantined upon return from countries with 2019-nCoV cases due to official duty or instructions from employers.

To not prevent any employee from attending work if there is no quarantine order. – Bernama