Between Career and Motherhood.
With the last year amendment of Employment Act 1955, on Pregnancy and Maternity Protection for Female employees in Malaysia regardless of their monthly income, every female employee under contract of service is covered by the EA1955. All female's employee eligible up to 98 days of maternity leave (paid or unpaid, depending on meeting the requirements set in the act for maternity allowance). However, with new sec 37(1) (aa), stated that despite the Female employees eligible to utilize all the 98 days of maternity leave (with pay or without pay), the said Female employees can choose to resume work at any time during her maternity leave provided:
a. she obtained her employer consent to return to work and
b. she has obtained certified fit to return to work by her gynaecologist or registered medical practitioner.
This is her choice to choose - voluntarily, not to be forced or feel intimidated due to security of her employment. It is known in the industries, there are many companies or supervisors, persuading new mothers to return to work, while the female employees on their maternity leave, and it has become a rising priority for many employers "enforce" this requirement. However, there are some companies start providing flexible working hours to support working mothers back to office after maternity leave, as these companies believe, working mothers thrive in their professional role, when the company provide support that meets the working mother's needs.
To all working mothers out there and soon to be, make sure you know your rights are well protected under EA1955, as you choose to bring another life to this world. You should not feel guilty of your choice. If we want to have a progress toward gender equity, in the workplace, no one should question your choices. If you feel struggling with your workload / demands and taking care of you family, get help, take your annual leave and get self-care. As working mother, it is necessary for us, to maintaining overall health and wellbeing. You may want to check a post-natal aesthetic treatment available at Amisi Klinik (https://amisi.com.my/) or you may want to check their nearest branch.
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Employers and colleagues perhaps could be more supportive to female employees, who are pregnant as well as to those working mothers who are returning as new parents. Why? Because no one can anticipate, such as a sick child, unplanned doctor's visits, when the spouse's need to be outstation due to work need, and the emotional or physical pain after giving birth. After all, we all human with many flaws and by taking care of your employees who want to grow their families it shows the company attracting and retaining the top talent as part of retention strategy.
" We have too many flaws to be perfect. But we have too many blessings to be ungrateful" (Unknown)
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