Employers to Decide WFH Guidelines in the Endemic Phase

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that the government would return the responsibility of drawing up work from home (WFH) guidelines and practices to employers and individuals after Malaysia transitions into the endemic stages on April 1.

He said there would be no restrictions on workforce capacity starting next month. 

 

Employers to create their own WFH guidelines

Khairy said that the government would leave it to employers to release their own guidelines, and some employers have permanently moved to the WFH practice. However, other employers who encourage WFH based on the situation, for instance, if most of their employees had Covid-19.

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government encouraged employers to adopt the WFH concept or rotate the non-essential employees to stop the spread. 

 

Time for employees to return to the workplace

The president of the SME Association of Malaysia, Ding Hong Sing, said that employees should return to their offices and factories. He added that some employers were already operating at 100% on-site capacity. 

He said that if there's a positive case of Covid-19 in the workplace, they can shut down for seven days and temporarily WFH. 

"Once there is a positive Covid-19 case, we will swab test all personnel," he said.

However, he said routine testing was one of the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) that employers should adopt at workplaces.

The acting president of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, Mohd Effendy Abdul Ghani, concurred, saying it was the right time for workers to return to the workplace as most of them were already fully vaccinated.

He added that as the borders are opening, WFH does not seem relevant any longer. However, he said it was essential for the workers to comply with all SOPs.

 

The choice belongs to the employers

The president of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai, stated that employers should have the choice of implementing WFH or a rotational work system based on their respective risk assessments.

He said that most firms had adopted business continuity plans on a multi-pronged approach for work operations that focus on speeding up the adoption of automation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. 

He explained that this method has helped them to operate core activities remotely, decreasing the need for employees' physical presence or reducing the density of employees for a specific production process.

Soh stated that such a hybrid work system allows some jobs to be performed remotely while maintaining productivity so employers can run business operations smoothly. 

He also advised the government to support a more flexible work arrangement by ensuring the labour laws are adjusted to consider such arrangements. 

 

Rebuilding company culture in the endemic phase

The founder and managing director of talent solution company Aisling Group, Melissa Norman, said several things require consideration to ensure that employers enter the new stage "gradually, thoughtfully and flexibly. 

She said increased turnover is not the only issue when it comes to talent. As most start a new job during the full lockdown and do not have the opportunity to meet their coworkers, employers should consider rebuilding company culture and building connections between employees. 

She added that the transition could require employers to look into practices and policies that may need improvements. 

As for the safety angle, Melissa said that one should not take the pandemic lightly, although the situation would soon be seen as safe enough for workers to return to the physical workplace. 

 

Vaccination status and ventilation system

Universiti Putra Malaysia epidemiologist, Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman, said that creating a workplace with full capacity would depend on factors, such as the vaccination status and the premise's ventilation system.

She said that if the situation is conducive, it means all personnel have completed their vaccination, and the ventilation is excellent. She added that companies could operate at full capacity if the self-screening test is also widely available. 

 

Many firms have adopted the remote and hybrid working arrangement since the government enforced the movement control order back in March 2020.

Source: The Star