Employers encouraged to allow work-from-home where possible

 

COVID-19 | The Health Ministry is advising employers to allow their workers to work from home whenever this can be done as the Omicron wave in Malaysia begins to pick up steam.

Alternatively, employees can be put on rotation to reduce the number of workers present on-premises and help ensure a safe working environment.

“In balancing between public health and economic recovery, we would like to send out an advisory - where it is possible and where the disruptions are minimal - for employers to allow employees to work from home and to avoid face-to-face meetings for the time being.

“Although we are confident with vaccinations (in reducing Omicron’s severity) and so on, we do want to reduce mobility a bit over the next weeks just to blunt the rise of Omicron,” Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

He said the advisory was made following discussions with Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz and Bank Negara governor Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus this morning.

Apart from this, Khairy urged employers to take advantage of the Finance Ministry’s incentives to upgrade the ventilation system at their workplace.

Employers should also help their workers obtain Covid-19 tests, especially if they develop Covid-19 symptoms and have difficulty seeking tests on their own.

Khairy also urged members of the public to wear high-quality masks whenever possible, such as respirators that meet the N95 or KF94 standards.

Alternatively, double-masking also provides good protection in lieu of respirators. This means wearing a cloth mask on top of a disposable surgical mask to reduce the surgical mask’s tendency to leak around the sides.

“But where possible, of course, employers should provide employees with better quality masks.

“Masks are important; a good quality mask helps a lot in cutting transmission,” he said.

He was asked whether Malaysia would follow suit with the US’ move in recommending respirators to the general public, rather than limiting its use to healthcare workers due to supply concerns.

Unlike surgical masks and cloth masks, respirators are designed to make a tight seal against the face to reduce leakage around the sides. This helps prevent disease transmission through aerosols. - Mkini