Employees, you would want to know this! The Employment Act will be amended to cut weekly working hours from 48 to 45 hours starting September 1, 2022. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention, the change is intended to provide greater flexibility when it comes to working hours while simultaneously ensuring the well-being of employees.
Additionally, the revisions contain a new provision on flexible work arrangements that would enable employees to apply to their employers for the right to work according to the appropriate working schedule, days, or locations, including working from home in emergency situations like the Covid-19 outbreak.
The good news is, that more adjustments are being made to give Malaysians a more flexible and sustainable work schedule in addition to fewer hours.
Not only that, there is an addition of a new section to the Act that will include guidelines for employees using flexible working arrangements coincides with this development. The action is anticipated to encourage more adaptable and sustainable working schedules going forward and was probably motivated by the virtual and hybrid office arrangements developed by businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new rule, which is also scheduled to take effect on September 1st, will provide employees the chance to apply to perform their job obligations in a flexible workplace environment. This will entail adjustments to their working hours, working days, and workplace locations, opening up the possibility of remote employment.
Furthermore, this is consistent with the Flexible Workplace Arrangement plan that Hashim first unveiled earlier in June. Employers will have 60 days to respond in writing regarding the application's approval or denial. In the case that it has been rejected, they must also give an explanation for the decision.
In my opinion, the new amendment shows that the government is serious about taking care of the employee’s well-being. With fewer working hours and flexibility in choosing working locations, employees might perform better – as it was proved during the pandemic that work-from-home is doable.
Sources:
https://says.com/my/news/malaysians-will-now-be-working-45-hours-instead-of-48-hours-per-week-starting-1-sept
https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2022/08/10/weekly-working-hours-reduced-to-45-hours-from-1-sept-2022/
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/10/shorter-working-hours-to-be-enforced-from-sept-1
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