“We are sorry about you getting Covid but it is either you complete the assignment by the given deadline or we will need to terminate the contract” these were the exact words from the executive when I asked for an extension after getting tested as a Category 2 Covid positive patient recently. I truly understand the need to honour the contract that was signed but the fact that there was no lenience in accommodating a Covid patient who is experiencing symptoms and require proper rest was startling to me. Then it struck me if many others would have gone through the same throughout the pandemic especially considering possible Long Covid complications. Based on an article published by Azmi & Associates, The Guidelines for Handling Disease-Related Issues Including Covid-19 at Work Places (“the Guidelines”) issued by the Labour Department of the Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia has stated that, should an employee be placed under quarantine by a certified medical practitioner, they must be paid the full salary and their quarantine period cannot be deducted from the annual leave. However, there’s limited information on the rights of freelance workers during Covid-19. Provided that the regulation on quarantine is being changed frequently, there is no proper guideline on the employment rights of freelance workers and this gives autonomy to the employers to take actions that they deem right. In addition, the recent announcement that Covid patients of category 1 and 2a (except high risk and over 60) do not need to report to Covid Assessment Centre (CAC) could place a limitation on employees exercising their rights as per the guideline above.
The pandemic which started in 2020 has caused over 100 000 people to lose their jobs in our country and as a result, there are more self-employed people and freelance employees who work on a contract basis now. However, their rights related to Covid-19 situations, let it be leave for quarantine or extension of deadlines for projects are not as clear as it is for full-time employees and even if there is any, they have not been communicated well to the public. This gives an advantage to the clients or employers to pressure the employees to deliver even when they are down with Covid-19 especially when they work remotely. This could certainly leave an emotional and health impact on these employees. Getting Covid-19 will already be an emotional turmoil for them given that self-isolation and the potentially long recovery period in some cases cause anxiety. Potential loss of income during the period of quarantine is yet another worry that hampers down on them and burdening them further with deadlines will not benefit them in terms of health. Following high vaccination rates, there have been lesser patients in categories 3, 4 and 5, however, there is an increased number in category 2 (Covid positive with mild symptoms) and having experienced it myself, the recovery period can be relatively longer than a common cold. In this case, sufficient rest and proper support are needed for the patients to recover sooner and subjecting them to more stress is not going to yield a better outcome.
The pandemic has changed a lot of things for us, especially in terms of social and economical aspects but there are just as many vague regulations because the situation is so dynamic and the changes are happening so rapidly. I was lucky enough to have been able to get back on my feet and complete the assignment and consequently save my job, but what about those that fail? Something to ponder and act upon. Beyond everything, perhaps a little empathy goes a long way.
Thanusha is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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