A workplace policy allegedly requiring employees to inform the company three days before taking medical leave (MC)has gone viral after one employee responded with a sarcastic message that reportedly led to the directive being withdrawn within an hour.
The incident, shared by a Malaysian woman on Threads, has since sparked discussions on whether such a rule is even practical.
HR allegedly announced 3-day notice for MC
In the viral post, the woman said the HR department at her husband’s workplace sent out a circular in the company’s main group chat stating that employees would need to inform the company three days in advance if they planned to take MC.
According to her, her husband immediately spotted the flaw in the policy and decided to respond in the group chat.
If that’s the case, I’m planning to take MC this Friday. Reason of illness: Don’t know yet. But I’m taking MC regardless.”
Rule reportedly withdrawn within an hour
The woman said the reply quickly exposed how unrealistic the directive was.
She claimed that less than an hour later, the circular was retracted, joking that unreasonable instructions were bound to become the subject of jokes.
In the comments, another user claimed the HR department had allegedly not discussed the directive with management beforehand, adding that even the company’s general manager was confused by the announcement.
Netizens share similar workplace experiences
The post also prompted many Malaysians to share their own experiences with employers asking for advance notice before taking medical leave.
One commenter claimed her husband’s supervisor once called while he was hospitalised after suffering an eye injury from riding his motorcycle to work.
“My husband was in the ward after injuring his eye. His supervisor called me asking if I could ask the doctor when he’d be discharged because it was difficult to arrange the work schedule.”
Some point out planned medical leave does exist
Not everyone disagreed entirely with the idea of advance notice.
Several users clarified that while unexpected illnesses cannot be predicted, there are situations where employees can inform employers ahead of time.
These include scheduled medical appointments, blood tests, chemotherapy sessions, surgeries, cyst or tumour removals, and follow-up treatments after accidents, which are usually arranged in advance.
Many agreed that while employers should be notified early for planned medical leave, expecting employees to predict sudden illnesses several days beforehand simply does not make sense.
View on Threads
