Everyone deserves a break. But when even your time off becomes a reason for surveillance, it begs the question: where’s the line between responsibility and respect?
That’s the conversation currently brewing online after a Malaysian woman shared her experience on Threads about an unusual and invasive demand from her employer.
A break… under surveillance?
In her post, she explained that her boss asked for her live location when she applied for annual leave (AL), supposedly to confirm whether she was really going on holiday.
My boss says there’s a new rule where if you want to take leave, you must send your live location. At my company, whether it’s MC (medical leave), emergency leave, or AL, they require live location.”
The woman added that things at her company don’t stop there.
Employees are even expected to provide photos of hospitalised family members, medical bills, and other forms of proof simply to justify taking time off.
As if that wasn’t stressful enough, she said her leave request was still pending.
Worse still, she was told that if she didn’t send her live location, she would be marked as absent without approval. Meanwhile, she was being flooded with spam calls from her boss.
“I’m so tired of getting spam calls,” she wrote.
When questioned by another user on whether this rule was stated in her company’s HR policy or employment agreement, she responded: “Nope.”
Escalate it to the Labour Department (JTK)
Her post quickly struck a nerve with Malaysians online, many of whom were shocked at how far the company was going to keep tabs on its staff.
One user commented:‘That’s a breach of privacy. Report it to HR. If HR doesn’t act, escalate it to the Labour Department (JTK).’
Some netizens even shared their own experiences with overly intrusive bosses, painting a picture of a wider culture of mistrust.
“I had a boss like this. I applied for leave to go back to Johor for family matters. He approved it and even treated me to lunch. But halfway there, he messaged me, ‘Send me your travel proof to Johor.’ I didn’t bother replying. I just updated my story and figured he stalked me online.”
Others weighed in with reminders that annual leave is part of your entitled benefits, and you don’t owe your employer an itinerary.
“Even if it’s MC, your employer has no right to ask for your live location. Are you working with a spy agency or something?”
One user suggested taking a more formal route: ‘If you’re really worried, ask them to put the request in writing. Then loop in HR and ask if this is even permitted.’
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