Malaysia is one of the best places to live in Asia. The country holds an excellent reputation for its local culture, tourism, employment sectors, and diversity. Recently, the provincial government worked on employee paternity and maternity laws and made a few amendments to support local families. Malaysians find the new leave policies beneficial and supportive during childbirth cases. We have covered the details of Malaysia’s paternity leave policy below for a better understanding.
Paternity Leaves in Malaysia
Malaysia’s Employment Act of 1955 highlights the legal aspects of the benefits employees can enjoy while working at a local organization. For many decades, the country followed the same policies in employment sectors and faced challenges due to some unfavorable clauses. One such policy was no leave provision for fathers during childbirth.
However, the local government has revisited the paternity leave policy this year and made a much-needed change. According to the new policy, employees can get 7 days of paid paternity leaves under Subsection 60FA. The government restricts male employees from using these leaves consecutively. While it is an excellent gesture for local employees in Malaysia, the provision comes with a few limitations.
Employees planning to apply for paid paternity leaves must keep the following conditions in check to avoid problems later.
It is worth noting that employees must be married to the (child’s) mother if they want to benefit from paid paternity leaves. The government does not provide paid leaves to unmarried fathers. Another factor to remember is the childbirth limit. The paternity leave policy binds male employees to use paid paternity leaves for the first five births only.
Limitations on Maternity Leaves
The government also highlighted a few maternity leave limitations while notifying male employees of the paid leave policy. According to the new guidelines, childbearing women must consider the following restriction when applying for maternity leaves.
- Female employees can get days off (for childbirth) but without getting paid for the entitled period (after five births)
Childbirth is a sensitive matter for both male and female employees. However, the government’s limitation (fifth birth) highlights an equally important issue. Population control is crucial to a country’s development and prosperity. While some other countries in the region have a different take on the matter, Malaysia’s policies reasonably establish a win-win situation for employees and the government.
Final Thoughts
Malaysia’s paternity leave policy has positively impacted locals planning to have a child in the near future. While many countries focus on maternity leaves alone, Malaysia has set an example for other countries in Asia to pay equal attention to paternity leave periods. If you liked reading the above details and want to be in the loop of global compliance and international employment laws, explore Global People Strategist and schedule a demo to find out how our platform can help your business.
