GE15: Private sectors urged to give employees leave this Friday and Saturday

KUALA LUMPUR - Caretaker Human Resource Minister, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has urged the private sector to give their employees time off this Friday and Saturday in conjuction with 15th General Election (GE15).

He implored as such so that employees can dutifully perform their responsibilties as voters come November 19, which was the reason those two days were declared as public holidays by the Federal Government.

Saravanan pointed out that the public holidays were declared under Section 8, Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369) which is a general holiday allocated to workers in the private sector pursuant to Section 60D(1)(b) of the Employment Act 1955.

"According to these provisions, employers can substitute any other day in lieu of a paid public holiday for employees," he said in a statement today.

Therefore, Saravanan said employers are required to inform employees whether to choose the dates of Nov 18 and 19 as public holidays or replace them with other dates.

If there is no replacement (days), employees who work on those dates are eligible to receive the salary rate for public holidays, he said. - BERNAMA