When a child falls seriously ill, most parents would do whatever it takes to stay by their side, even if it means putting work on hold temporarily.
Recently, a woman sparked outrage online after claiming that her husband was allegedly pressured by his employer after taking emergency leave (EL) to care for their son, who was hospitalised with a high fever and suspected measles.
Husband allegedly told to focus on family first
In a Threads post, the woman shared that her husband had only started working at the company two months ago and was still under probation when the incident happened.
According to her, their young son was admitted to the hospital last week due to a high fever and suspected measles, forcing her husband to temporarily step away from work to care for him.
She claimed her husband initially requested to either work from home or bring their child to the office, but management allegedly advised him to just take emergency leave instead.
The management told him it would be better to just take EL and focus on family.”
However, after taking four days of emergency leave, things allegedly took a sudden turn.
Salary allegedly reduced from RM4,500 to RM1,700
The woman claimed her husband was later informed that the company’s CEO was unhappy with the amount of leave he had taken.
She alleged that the company then gave him two choices, either accept a drastic salary reduction or resign from the job entirely.
“Today he was informed that the CEO was unhappy because he took four days of EL. They want to reduce his salary from RM4,500 to RM1,700 basic salary, or ask him to resign and look for another job,” she wrote.
The situation reportedly became even more stressful after the couple reviewed the employment contract.
Couple worried over “unfair” clauses in contract
According to the woman, the employment agreement allegedly contained clauses stating that management reserves the right to make last-minute changes to employment terms.
She also claimed the contract included a non-compete clause preventing her husband from working in the same industry for five years.
Confused and worried, she turned to netizens for advice on whether the company could legally enforce such conditions.
Can the company take action if my husband works in the same field within five years? Can we bring this case to the labour office?” she asked.
Netizens urge couple to seek help from authorities
The post quickly gained traction online, with many Malaysians expressing sympathy towards the couple’s situation.
Several netizens encouraged them to seek advice from Malaysia’s labour authorities, including the Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Malaysia (JTK).
‘Does your husband have any agreement regarding the clause? Gather all evidence and a Letter of Offer (LOF), then go to JTK for enquiries. The officer will advise on the next course of action.’
‘You can bring all black-and-white evidence to JTK, including letters, WhatsApp chats, and any related sources. Give it a try.’
