leave application letter for hari raya

Hari Raya and Other Festive Seasons: Managing Employee Gifts, Leave, and Absences

As Hari Raya approaches, employers in Malaysia face a unique set of challenges related to gift-giving practices, public holidays, employee absences as well as flexible working requests. This article highlights the common issues faced by employers and the intricacies of managing employees during festive seasons.

Addressing Concerns of Corruption in Gift-Giving Practices

One of the primary concerns during festive seasons is the exchange of gifts between employees and third-party vendors. While acknowledging the cultural significance of gift-giving (“Duit Raya”, expensive tokens etc) there is a

palpable apprehension surrounding potential corruption and bribery. To mitigate risks, it is essential to examine gift-giving practices through a multifaceted lens. Clear policies delineating acceptable gift thresholds within organizations can help uphold transparency and accountability. It is essential to ensure that the company takes certain measures and implements best practices to prevent any type of corruption as this may lead to liability under S.17A of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

Another contentious issue is whether Hari Raya should be considered a replaceable public holiday. According to the Employment Act 1955, Hari Raya falls under the category of replaceable holidays, granting companies the discretion to schedule work on those days. However, it is crucial to strike a balance between legal requirements and employee sentiments. While companies possess the prerogative to designate working days during Hari Raya, acknowledging the cultural significance of the holiday is also imperative. Proactive planning and incentivization strategies can help mitigate employee dissatisfaction and minimize absenteeism.

Managing Employee Absences and Medical Leaves

The challenge of managing employee absences, particularly when annual leave requests are rejected by the company and employees resort to using medical leave to circumvent this during festive seasons, is also another common issue. Companies should attempt to incentivize employees to work during Hari Raya by perhaps providing further rewards as well as having an effective leave planning system to curb absenteeism.

However, this approach underscores the importance of first understanding employee motivations and addressing underlying concerns. Regarding medical leave, what happens if an employee applies for annual leave but it was rejected and now the employee is instead on MC for those very days they applied for annual leave. Now, it is difficult to discern genuine illness from malingering. While companies can implement measures to detect abuse, such as analyzing leave patterns and behaviors, fostering trust and communication between employers and employees is essential.

Navigating Flexible Work Hours During Ramadan

Another common issue is accommodating requests for flexible working hours for employees observing the fast during Ramadan? Take for instance; a warehouse department proposed starting work half an hour earlier and ending half an hour earlier during Ramadan to avoid traffic congestion and facilitate timely preparation for breaking the fast.

While there's no legal mandate to adjust working hours for Ramadan, many companies do consider such requests as a gesture of respect and inclusivity towards their Muslim employees. However, this decision isn't without its complexities and considerations.

One primary concern is whether accommodating this request sets a precedent for other departments or non-muslim employees to seek similar adjustments. It's a valid concern, as maintaining consistency across the organization is crucial for fairness and operational efficiency. Yet, it's also important to communicate to other employees the specific needs of different departments and individuals, especially during religious observances like Ramadan.

A Compromise - Legal and Practical?

In many cases, companies opt for a compromise solution, such as shortening lunch breaks by 30 minutes as described above and allowing employees to leave work earlier. This approach balances the needs of fasting employees with operational requirements. However, it's essential to emphasize that there's no one-size-fits-all solution, and each company must evaluate what works best for its unique circumstances.

However, it has come to our attention that some companies provide flexibility to Muslim employees to have a continuous working arrangement without any lunch break (with the employee’s consent) so the employee can leave office earlier (e.g: original work hours are 8am to 5pm and without a lunch break 8 am - 4 pm). Now, this may be contentious. According to S60A(1)(a) of the Employment Act 1955, employers are mandated to provide employees with a break of at least 30 minutes after every five consecutive hours of work. This regulation applies regardless of the employee's consent or any special arrangements, such as during the Ramadan month, where some Muslim employees may prefer a straight working arrangement without a lunch break.

It's essential to understand that even if an employee voluntarily opts out of the break, the employer remains obligated to adhere to the break regulations stipulated by the Employment Act. Therefore, any deviation from the mandated break periods, even if mutually agreed upon, would constitute a breach of labor laws.

While accommodating flexible working hours during Ramadan is a common practice, it's not universally adopted by all companies. Some may choose not to adjust their schedules due to logistical constraints or other considerations. However, such decisions should be communicated transparently to employees to avoid misunderstandings or perceptions of insensitivity.

FAQs: Gift Giving Practices During Festive Seasons

FAQ 1: What is the difference between bonuses and gifts of money like “Duit Raya” (a monetary gift in an envelope, customarily given during Hari Raya) at the workplace?

Answer: Bonus is an extra reward to employees which is usually recorded in their payroll which is then subject to employer contributions like EPF and MTD. Per contra, Duit Raya is a gift of money (given during festivals), and is not considered as personal income.Thus, it is not subject to any employer's contributions.

FAQ 2: As an employer can I issue bonuses as a form of gift of money like Duit Raya to avoid it being subject to statutory contributions like EPF and MTD?

Answer: We highly recommend not to do so as the EPF authority may upon performing an audit see through this approach and later compel that the employees’ benefits are given. This may also lead to fines or penalties for failing to comply with the legal requirements.

FAQ 3: If your company has previously awarded bonuses or gifts of money as a kind gesture but could not do so for a certain year due to financial constraints, is the employee now entitled to claim for such payments?

Answer: If neither the Company handbook nor the employment contract provided that there would be an annual bonus or Duit Raya, then the employee has no contractual right to expect a bonus and/or Duit Raya every year.This is even though the employee had it for the previous years, received such entitlements. Again, these types of entitlements are at the discretion of the company.

FAQ 4: If gifts of money are at the discretion of the company, can an employer award them only to their favourite employees even if they are on an equal footing as all the other employees in the company?

Answer: It is not advisable to do so. This practice may give rise to concerns among employees regarding double standards or discriminatory treatment, potentially violating Section 69F of the Employment Act 1955. Unlike performance-based bonuses, which are justified by individual performance metrics, favoritism in the distribution of monetary gifts lacks objective criteria and fairness. Therefore, it is essential for employers to ensure transparency and fairness in all forms of rewards and recognition to maintain a harmonious and legally compliant workplace environment.

🎉 Click here to join our consultants Victor Gan and Dzulfadhli Lamin discussing the fine line between cultural gift-giving and bribery during CNY, alongside effective strategies for managing employees during festive seasons like Chinese New Year and Hari Raya.

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[Updated 2023] You never know these secret tips about leave application for holidays

• By Natassha
• Posted on December 16, 2019
• Category: About EasyWork , Lifestyle , Trends

We’ve also published a guide on how to create an effective Leave Management System .

How to make a smart annual leave application and fully enjoy your public holidays without impact your work? Good news to Malaysian by making your holiday perfect.

Here is the tips to utilise the gap of public holidays. Let’s learn about how you can enjoy a long holiday break by applying for leave on days connecting with the public holidays!

Check out the infographic below that can be really useful for you. Share these images to your friends and colleagues.

Download a copy of your guide here 

Friendly Reminder: Leave application done using EasyWork can be sent out to admin as CSV reports. Use this feature to the fullest and go paperless! Everything is systematically recorded in EasyWork for further reference. We also newly launched a LeavePro with the function of calculating leave balance.

Thank you for staying with EasyWork as we usher in the new year. We hope that EasyWork can provide you with an easy workspace platform to make your work and life easier.

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How to Write a 2/3/7 Days Leave Application (With Examples)

If we need to request annual or personal leave for school or office, it's always necessary to write and submit a leave application letter. In this article, you will learn how to write a leave application letter and 1-click generate an appropriate leave letter using an Anakin AI without a hassle.

If we need to request annual or personal leave for school or office, it's always necessary to write and submit a leave application letter. For most of us, writing a leave application letter is always tough. So in this article, you will learn how to write a leave application letter and generate an appropriate leave letter using an AI tool without a hassle.

With the ' Leave Letter Generator ' which is a built-in AI app in Anakin AI, we can generate a polished, professional leave application letter with 1 click.

Why do we need to write a leave application letter?

When we need a leave for work or school, it is essential to write a formal leave letter application letter rather than just verbally requesting time off.

• Formal documentation trail - A written letter on record ensures the dates, reasons, and other details are documented in case any questions come up later.
• Demonstrates professionalism - Taking the time to write an official letter shows you are approaching the request professionally.
• Allows tracking of leave - Written requests allow the organization to formally track and approve leaves by policies and operational needs.
• Provides clarity - A letter reduces confusion by clearly outlining all the pertinent details like exact dates, reason, contact details, etc.
• Gives time to plan - Advanced written notice gives managers more time to handle resourcing and reassignment of work in their absence.
• For common expectations - Many companies require official letters as part of their leave policies so employees comply by providing one.
• Act as proof - The letter serves as proof that the request was made and approved in case any discrepancies come up.

Overall, a formal leave application letter is regarded as the professional and expected way to communicate planned absences in most workplace environments. So, this can somehow explain how important the leave application letter is to us.

How to write the leave application letter

In this part, we will learn what contents should be involved in a leave application letter. Here are the key elements to include in a leave application letter:

Basic information

Give some information that others can address and have an overview of our leave application. For example, leave data, full name of both us and the recipient, our employee ID, job title, department, etc.

Subject/Reason for Leave

Being transparent by providing a clear, specific reason displays professionalism, and allows informed decisions - making it a very important part of any leave application letter. We'd better clearly state the reason for the leave request.

Some common reasons for a leave

Considering a reason for personal leave from school or work is always difficult. So let's have a look at some of the most common reasons that people request leave:

• Vacation - To go on a holiday, travel, or take time off work.
• Personal leave - For personal business, family time, social occasions, etc.
• Sick leave - When ill or for medical reasons including doctor's appointments.
• Maternity leave - For pregnant women before/after childbirth.
• Paternity leave - For new fathers around the time of childbirth.
• Caregiver leave - To care for a sick child, spouse, parent, etc.
• Bereavement leave - Due to the death of a close family member.
• Marriage leave - To get married or attend a wedding.
• Education leave - For exams, courses, or educational needs.
• Religious leave - For religious occasions, festivals, and pilgrimage.
• Community service leave - For volunteer work, blood donation, etc.
• Examination leave - To prepare for and sit for exams.
• Extraordinary leave - For uncommon reasons not covered by regular policies.
• Sabbatical leave - For a long break after years of service.

The reason should be explained clearly along with dates and any supporting documents as per company leave policies.

Supporting documents

If we have any supporting documents like medical certificates, you can submit them with the application letter to provide evidence and make your leave more reasonable.

Work/study coverage

To show our responsibility for your work or study, we'd better mention something about the arrangements we've made to cover work or study during the leave.

Examples of a 2/3/7 Days Leave Application

Based on the duration of the leave, we should have different reasons. It's not reasonable to ask for a fever leave for 1 month. So, based on the contents I introduced above, let's see some excellent examples of leave application letters for different durations.

Leave application letter for 2 days

Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

[Manager's Name]

[Company Name]

Subject: Leave Application for 2 days due to Fever

Dear [Manager's Name],

I am writing this letter to request for leave of 2 days from [start date] to [end date] as I am down with a high fever.

I started feeling unwell on [date] with symptoms of headache, weakness, and slight temperature. I took some medication hoping to recover soon but my condition has worsened and I developed a fever of 102°F yesterday evening along with chills and body aches.

I visited Dr. [doctor's name] this morning and upon examination, he has advised me to take complete rest for the next 2 days as per the medical certificate attached. I promise to make up for the work once I recover and resume duty.

I request you to kindly consider 2 days of sick leave during this time so that I can focus on my health and return to good shape. I will keep you updated on my recovery. Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional information.

[Your name]

[Designation]

Enclosure: Medical Certificate

Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional details to be included in the letter. Wish you a speedy recovery!

Leave application letter for 3 days

Subject: Leave Application for 3 Days to Attend Brother's Wedding

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to request for 3 days of leave from [start date] to [end date] to attend my brother's wedding ceremony.

My brother, [name], is getting married on [wedding date] in our hometown of [place]. As it is a family occasion of immense importance, I humbly request to be granted leave for 3 days to fulfill my responsibilities as the elder brother.

I have planned and completed all urgent tasks scheduled during this time. [Colleague name] has kindly agreed to handle any client queries that may arise when I am away. I promise to make up for any pending work on my return and will be available by phone/email in case of an emergency.

I would be grateful if you could approve this leave so I can be a part of this special celebration in my family. Please let me know if you need any additional information. I hope you will consider my request positively.

7 days leave application letter

Subject: Leave Application for 7 Days Family Travel

I wish to apply for 7 days of annual paid leave from [start date] to [end date] for a family trip.

My family has planned a long-awaited vacation to [destination] after many years. It would be the first holiday ever since my two children were born. The booking of tickets and accommodation has already been completed.

I have chosen these dates considering our team's project timelines and scheduled all urgent tasks to be completed before my leave. I will carry my laptop to respond to anything critical while away. My colleague [name] has kindly agreed to cover any immediate customer queries in my absence.

Please consider this application for 7 days' leave for this important family occasion. I have over [X] days of leave balance. I promise to ensure my absence does not impact our performance targets.

Please let me know if I can provide any other details. I hope you will approve this leave.

In summary, as you can see above, we need different reasons for different leave durations. Be sure that your reason for leave matches the leave duration you requested.

1 click to generate leave application letters for any situations

If you need any solution for auto-generating the leave application letters that can cover all situations you might meet. You can try Anakin AI , the built-in AI app named 'Leave Letter Generator' can craft a leave application letter based on your needs in just a few seconds.

In the next part, I will show you how to use this magic AI app to generate an appropriate leave application letter.

Step 1. Launch the Anakin App or access to   Anakin Web , easily search and find the " Leave Letter Generator " from the " Discover " tab in the left side.

Step 2. Fill in the required information including your name, recipient, duration and others. If you do have any specific reason for this leave, you can also tell it to AI.

Step 3. Click the " Generate " button to initiate an appropriate leave application letter with a right recipient, days duration, reason, etc.

Now, you can submit this letter to your manager or teacher to ask for a leave.

Something you need to do after submitting a leave letter

If you are a student, there is nothing to do but wait for your leave application to get approved. For those who submitted a leave application from the office, there is still something you need to do besides following up on the status of the application. The following is a summary of it, let's have a look.

• Follow up - Politely follow up with your manager after 2-3 days if you do not receive any response to your leave request. Resend the letter if needed.
• Get acknowledgment - Obtain written or verbal acknowledgment from your manager once the leave is approved. This serves as proof.
• Handover work - Do a thorough handover of any ongoing work to colleagues who will handle it in your absence. Share key details.
• Set auto-replies - Set up auto-reply emails and voicemails informing contacts of your leave dates and alternative points of contact.
• Complete urgent work - Finish any tasks that are urgent before starting your leave. Do not leave loose ends.
• Prepare backup plans - Develop contingency plans for scenarios like early return from leave or leave extension if required.
• Adjust calendar - Block out the leave dates in shared team calendars and notify relevant stakeholders.
• Remind manager - Send a quick reminder to your boss closer to your leave date after key handovers are completed.
• Inform key contacts - Directly inform important clients, vendors, and colleagues about your upcoming leave.
• Complete timesheet - Fill out and submit leave timesheet or any other organizational requirements.
• Evaluate on return - On resuming work, check if any issues arose during the leave that need to be addressed.
• Thank manager - Extend gratitude to your reporting manager once again for approving your leave request.

Writing a formal leave application letter is an important part of requesting time off from work or school. This article provided tips on how to write effective leave letters for different leave durations along with examples for 2, 3, and 7 days leave.

For recurring leave requests, using an AI assistant like Anakin to generate error-free letters each time can save a lot of effort. With just a few clicks, it can create customized letters tailored to your specific leave needs.

In summary, leave application letters are necessary for professional communication and to follow organizational processes. Taking time to write them well and follow up appropriately allows hassle-free approval of leaves for your important needs. By incorporating the tips in this article, you can draft leave letters that check all the boxes and get approved.

• for a leave.
• go to Guangzhou
• I wanted to
• for a leave
• three days.

• The HR Guide to Malaysian Public Holidays
• How To HR MY
• Leave and Time-Off
• Leave and Time-Off MY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The law on malaysian public holidays, which public holidays should the organization observe, what about holidays declared at short notice, what if the employee can’t get the day off, manage leave and public holidays with briohr.

We in Malaysia are ‘blessed’ with a bounty of public holidays. Depending on the state, organizations can observe anywhere from 21 to 25 days of public holiday per year.

And that’s not counting the holidays that are declared by the federal and state governments, such as the recent holidays for the 2023 state elections . Furthermore, it’s not uncommon for such holidays to be announced at short notice. Such holidays are known as ‘ cuti peristiwa ’ or ‘occasional holidays’.

As the public holidays in Malaysia can get confusing, we present to you this guide on when and how Malaysian public holidays work.

Two main Acts affect which public holidays employees may take:

• Employment Act 1955.
• Holidays Act 1951.

Holidays in the Employment Act

Section 60D of the Employment Act 1955 defines which holidays employees are entitled to.

• (i) the National Day;
• (ii) the Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong;
• (iii) the Birthday of the Ruler or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, as the case may be, of the State in which the employee wholly or mainly works under his contract of service, or the Federal Territory Day, if the employee wholly or mainly works in the Federal Territory;
• (iv) the Workers’ Day; and
• (v) Malaysia Day; and
• (b) on any day appointed as a public holiday for that particular year under section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951.

Holidays in the Holidays Act

Sections 8 and 9 of the Holidays Act 1951 define how cuti peristiwa or occasional holidays are declared.

• The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette or in such other manner as he thinks fit, appoint, in respect of Peninsular Malaysia, or the Federal Territory or, after consultation with the State Authority, in respect of a State, a day to be observed as a public holiday or a bank holiday in addition to, or in substitution for, any of the days mentioned in the Schedules and thereupon this Act shall, in Peninsular Malaysia, or in the Federal Territory, or in the State in respect of which a day is appointed to be observed as a holiday as aforesaid, be applicable to such day in the same manner as if the said day had been mentioned in the First Schedule or the Second Schedule, as the case may be.
• (1) The State Authority may, by notification in the Gazette or in such other manner as it thinks fit, appoint a day to be observed as a State public holiday in any such State, and such day shall, except as hereinafter provided, be observed in such State as a public holiday.
• (2) The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, or in such other manner as he thinks fit, appoint a day to be observed as a Federal Territory public holiday in the Federal Territory, and such day shall, except as hereinafter provided, be observed in the Federal Territory as a public holiday.

This is governed by Section 60D of the Employment Act 1955 as shown above. 

As a minimum, companies should observe 11 days of public holidays. The five compulsory holidays include:

• National Day (31 August)
• Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (first Monday of June)
• Birthday of the Ruler or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or the Federal Territory Day (varies by state, 1 February for Federal Territory Day)
• Workers’ Day (1 May)
• Malaysia Day (16 September)

*Dates are as of 2023.

In addition, the company needs to observe six more public holidays chosen by the company. These can be any combination of national and state holidays as defined by the Government . 

Despite this, many companies choose to observe all public holidays, as do schools and the Malaysian civil service. This way, it makes administrative matters easier.

Whether the company chooses to observe the minimum amount of public holidays or all holidays, it should be spelled out in the company policy, employee handbook, or employment contract.

This is what every employer dreads – holidays declared a day or two prior by either the Federal or State Governments.

For Malaysia-wide public holidays declared under section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951, it is compulsory for the company to observe it, regardless of their public holiday observance policy. An example of this would be the additional holiday declared by the Government in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri earlier this year .

As for state holidays declared under section 9:

• Companies that observe the minimum 11 days of public holiday do not need to observe it.
• Companies that observe all public holidays will need to observe it.

An example of a section 9 holiday would be the holidays declared due to the 2023 state elections held in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.

In case employees can’t get the day off for compulsory holidays declared on short notice, employers have three options:

• Replace the public holiday on another day as determined by the company.
• Give the employee an additional day of annual leave.
• Pay the employee overtime pay at public holiday rates.

However, for public holidays declared for the purposes of a general or state election, employers must still give employees reasonable time off from work to cast their vote. Otherwise, the employer will be in breach of section 25 of the Election Offences Act 1954 .

As we can see, public holidays can get messy. Nevertheless, with BrioHR, you can manage public holidays as well as leave and time-off in a simple, automated HR system.

Since BrioHR is cloud-based, we constantly update the system to include the latest public holidays, so you can rest assured that your team is getting their due time-off.

With a secure, scalable, user-friendly platform, BrioHR covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding , payroll and claims , to performance and analytics , and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

Two pieces of legislation affect which public holidays employees may take:

• (b) on any day appointed as a public holiday for that particular year under section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951 [Act 369].

This is governed by Section 60D of the Employment Act 1955 as shown above.

In addition, the company needs to observe six more public holidays chosen by the company. These can be any combination of national and state holidays as defined by the Government .

What About Declared Holidays?

This is what every employer dreads – holidays declared at short notice by either the Federal or State Governments.

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• Entertainment

Planning your annual leave for 2022? Here's how to take full advantage of the 6 long weekends

With travel looking like it's on the cards , you might be looking forward to a vacation or two next year.

Good news — we're looking at six long weekends in 2022, up from just four this year. And if you plan it right, you just might be able to enjoy more time off.

Don't forget to act fast and submit that leave request before your colleagues chope these dates!

Five-day weekend over Chinese New Year (Feb 1-2)

Chinese New Year actually falls right smack in the middle of the week, on a Tuesday and Wednesday. While it isn't technically a long weekend, you can convert it to one by simply taking Monday off.

When to take leave: Jan 31, 2022

Good Friday (April 15)

With Good Friday falling on, well, a Friday, take leave on Thursday or the following Monday to enjoy a sweet four days off.

When to take leave: April 14 or April 18, 2022

Labour Day (May 1) And Hari Raya Puasa (May 3)

Labour Day falls on a Sunday, so the next day (May 2) will usually be a day off-in-lieu. Hari Raya Puasa falls within the same week, on Tuesday.

Take just one day of leave before or after this period and you'll enjoy five straight days off!

When to take leave: April 29 or May 4, 2022

Vesak Day (May 15)

This is another public holiday that falls on a Sunday, so expect Monday off. Taking leave on either Friday or Tuesday will give you a four-day weekend.

When to take leave: May 13 or May 17, 2022

Hari Raya Haji (July 10)

You already know the drill at this point. With Hari Raya Haji falling on a Sunday, which means Monday is an off day, you'll have a three-day weekend. Make it four by planning your leave before or after the weekend.

When to take leave: July 8 or July 12, 2022

Deepavali (Oct 24)

The Festival of Lights falls on a Monday, so make it a four-day weekend with just one day of leave.

When to take leave: Oct 21 or Oct 25, 2022

Christmas Day (Dec 25)

With Monday (Dec 26) as a day off-in-lieu, you can easily enjoy a five-day break by planning your leave days before or after the Christmas period.

When to take leave: Dec 24 or Dec 27, 2022

ALSO READ:  Missing Bangkok? Have a Thai-inspired daycation in Singapore with activities like night markets and massages

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6 Compulsory & 9 Optional Leave Policies In Malaysia [2024 Update]

Workplaces need clear leave policies.

Employers in Malaysia are mandated by law to allocate a set number of days for certain types of leave. Of course, they are free to offer more, especially when 50% of employees are reportedly ready to resign to pursue better work-life balance.

Of course, employers don’t want to be taken advantage of – the answer is always a middle ground.

In this post, we’ll provide an overview of the mandatory and optional types of leave in Malaysia.

The goal: for employers and employees to know what leave is and isn’t negotiable.

With this, not only can they ensure workplace policies are legally compliant, but we hope the list of optional leaves inspires them with ways to improve working conditions at the company.

Note : The information below has been verified to be accurate as of March 2024.

2023 Employment Act amendments

6. public holidays, 9. haji leave, the employment act 1955.

We’d like to start by citing our source: The Employment Act 1955 PDF .

When it comes to leave policies (and most workplace policies for that matter), think of the Employment Act 1955 as your ultimate authority. The act lays out the statutory rights of employees and terms of employment, including holidays, termination, salaries, and of course, leave policies.

The beginning of 2022 brought with it a set of amendments to the Employment Act to better safeguard employee welfare.

We’ve compiled amendments likely to affect company leave policy into the table below.

Now let’s look at non-negotiable types of leave in Malaysia.

Mandatory Types of Leave

The mandatory types of leave listed below can be found in the act, and employers must obey them or expose the company to legal action. Give the act a read – but finish this guide first!

1. Paid annual leave

Paid annual leave is simply a way for employees to take a break and unwind while still receiving their monthly salary. Bosses may not like the sound of that, but the fact is it avoids burnout and slumps in productivity.

Legal entitlement to paid annual leave In Malaysia is as follows:

• 8 days annually if employed between 1 – 2 years
• 12 days annually if employed between 2 – 5 years
• 16 days annually if employed for more than 5 years

If an employee has worked for less than 12 months, their annual leave will be proportional to the number of months in employment. For example, if Abu has been a cashier at a supermarket for six months, he is entitled to 4 days of paid annual leave.

Some additional notes:

• It’s separate from rest days, holidays, and other types of leave.
• If an employee is eligible to claim sick or maternity leave while on annual leave, their annual leave is considered unclaimed.
• If an employee misses work for more than 10% of their working days in a year without cause, they forfeit their right to annual leave (though in a way, they’ve already taken it).
• There is no legal obligation to carry unused annual leave forward.
• There is no legally mandated notice period for annual leave – it’s up to the employer to set guidelines.

2. Paid sick leave

On account of pesky bacteria and whatnot, people tend to get sick. When your head feels like a kettle of boiling water and your nose leaks radioactive waste, spreadsheets are the last thing on your mind. We’re not showing a photo – too gross even for us.

That’s when you go to the doctor and claim paid sick leave.

Legal entitlement to paid sick leave (without hospitalisation) in Malaysi is as follows:

• 14 days annually if employed for 1 – 2 years
• 18 days annually if employed for 2 – 5 years
• 22 days annually if employed for more than 5 years
• Employees must get certified by a registered medical practitioner or dental surgeon (covered by the Dental Act 1971 ).
• Employees must at least make an honest attempt to inform employers of their situation within 48 hours of needing to take sick leave.
• Failing the above, the employee may be considered absent from work without just cause.

3. Hospitalisation leave

This is an extension of sick leave, but we think it’s significant enough to merit its own section.

Where hospitalisation is necessary, add 60 days to each of the paid sick leave categories above, which means:

74 days annually if employed for 1 – 2 years 78 days annually if employed for 2 – 5 years 82 days annually if employed for more than 5 years

4. Maternity leave

From time to time, your female employees will take Human Resources a little too literally and produce a tiny human being of their own. Woohoo – new future unpaid interns!

By law, they will be entitled to paid maternity leave if they meet the following two conditions:

• they have worked for a total of at least 90 days in the nine months before childbirth, and
• they have been employed within the four months before childbirth.

In Malaysia, the legal entitlement to maternity leave is 98 days .

• It cannot start earlier than 30 days before the expected date of childbirth and cannot start later than the day after giving birth
• If an employee chooses to begin maternity leave earlier than 30 days before her due date, those extra days won’t be counted as part of her official maternity leave.
• A medical professional can decide that an employee should start her maternity leave within 14 days before her due date (this one is for the workaholics out there).

You may find versions of the Employment Act that mandate 60 days of maternity leave; those are outdated after an amendment was passed in 2022 . That same amendment is also the reason for the next entry.

5. Paternity leave

Thanks to the 2022 amendment to the Employment Act, fathers are entitled to 7 consecutive days of paid paternity leave, provided they are legally married to the mother of the child.

Every employee in Malaysia is entitled to eleven gazetted public holidays, with five specific holidays:

• National Day,
• Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
• Birthday of the Ruler of the State OR Federal Territory Day
• Workers’ Day, and
• Malaysia Day

The remaining six days can fall on any public holidays that year that are included in the Holidays Act 1951 .

• If a public holiday falls on a rest day (such as a Sunday) or another public holiday, the day immediately after will be turned into a paid holiday as a substitute.
• If an employee is on sick or annual leave during a public holiday, they are owed a replacement day.
• If an employee is absent from work on the day immediately before or after a public holiday with no just cause, they forfeit the right to the paid holiday.

Alright, that wraps up the six mandatory types of leave under the Employment Act.

Now let’s take a quick look at other common types of leave.

Non-Mandatory Types of Leave

Employers don’t have to offer these but look down the list and you’ll understand why many companies today go above and beyond.

To those that don’t, we hope you have a pretty good reason!

1. Unpaid leave

This is a period of time when an employee takes time off from work but does not receive regular pay or salary. Usually, it is because they have exhausted their annual paid leave but are still not ready to return to work.

2. Emergency leave

This type of leave allows employees to take time off from work without prior notice due to an urgent and unforeseen situation, such as a family emergency or personal crisis. The classic case would be when an employee’s car suddenly breaks down, followed closely by their mental state.

3. Compassionate leave

Compassionate leave covers significant life events such as the loss of a beloved pet or the diagnosis of a terminal illness in the family. Logically, the employee would not be able to focus at work anyway, and it would be better to let them focus on processing their grief.

4. Marriage leave

Marriage leave is a special type of paid time off given to employees to celebrate their wedding day. In some cultures, weddings can take a tremendous amount of planning and ceremonies can span weeks, so some time off could be considered.

Dealing with a mother-in-law should be considered its own job, after all.

5. Disaster leave

If your employee’s house gets flooded, are you really going to ask them to come to office by motorboat?

The above question doesn’t apply to motorboat dealerships.

6. Study / examination leave

This allows employees to take time off from work to attend classes, lectures, or prepare for exams related to their field of study.

7. Birthday leave

It’s not technically their birthday, but hey, it’s a big deal for some people and allows employees to rest, spend time with family and friends, and feel noticed and appreciated by the company.

Plus, it saves you the trouble of singing the song at the office!

8. Childcare leave

Childcare leave enables employees to take time off work to care for their children. This can be especially useful for new fathers who only have seven days of legal paid paternity leave.

It could be worse: imagine them bringing their child to work.

This allows Muslim employees to take time off from work to participate in the Hajj pilgrimage, which is an important religious duty for Muslims. Considering Malaysia is a majority Muslim country, this can be an attractive proposition.

Let MISHU craft perfect policies for you

Our HR consultants are ready to help you create and implement workplace policies backed by years of experience and inside out knowledge of the law, ensuring deadlines are met, workloads are distributed evenly, and decisions made without bias.

Key Takeaways:

• The statutory source of information on leave policies is the Employment Act 1955 which we highly encourage all employers and employees to read.
• There was a recent amendment to the Employment Act that took effect in January 2023 covering various areas of employment including leave policies.
• The six types of mandatory leave in Malaysia are: public holidays as well as annual, sick, hospitalization, maternity, paternity leave.
• Other types of leave are not mandatory but enhance the proposition to potential and existing talent. It makes them feel more valued and some people really do prioritise time over money.
• Crafting the perfect leave policy for your organization can be a total headache – hire us to do it for you instead!

FAQs about Types of Leave in Malaysia:

• How many compulsory leaves are Malaysian employers required to provide? 💡Malaysian employers are required to provide a minimum of 6 compulsory leaves to their employees: annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, marriage leave, and public holidays.
• How many optional leaves are Malaysian employers allowed to provide? 💡Malaysian employers are allowed to provide as many optional leaves to their employees as they see fit.
• Can employers restrict the usage of compulsory leaves? 💡Yes and no. Employers can establish certain guidelines and restrictions for usage of compulsory leaves, as long as they comply with employment laws and regulations in Malaysia.
• Can you give me an example of guidelines that restrict with compliance? 💡All companies must allow a set amount of unpaid annual leave, but some companies may allow employees to carry forward certain unused compulsory leaves to the following year, while others may require the leaves to be utilised within the same year.

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If for any reason you are unhappy with our services for issues that we are directly responsible for, simply email us at [email protected] within 30 days from your payment date and we will provide a full refund – no questions asked.

However, do note that this guarantee applies only to New Sdn Bhd and New LLP registration services, and that any fees that have been paid to SSM or other government authorities as part of the registration process are non-refundable.

There’s absolutely no risk! Take our commitment and try us out.

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8 Office Closed For Holiday Message Examples

It’s everyone’s favourite time of the year — holidays!

But hold up… before we all jet off on our much awaited annual vacations, we’ve got to get the administrative stuff out of the way. That way, you can really enjoy a peaceful and relaxing holiday without being bombarded by endless messages, emails and calls.

Regardless of whether you like sticking to something simple and straightforward, or have a little fun with your out-of-office message, we’ve got some handy templates here for you. All you have to do is make sure the basics are covered — why you are away, how long you will be gone for, alternative contact details to reach out for immediate assistance or urgent matters, and any other helpful instructions.

We’ve crafted two versions of out of office message templates that you can use for different situations — depending on whether you work in a no-nonsense environment or whether you have an easygoing work culture where you can inject a little personality and humour. Oh and of course, please customise them to your needs where necessary!

In our factsheet, we cover:

• Generic out-of-office email templates
• Office closed for Christmas email templates
• Office closed for public holidays email templates
• Announcement of annual year-end vacation email templates
• How to efficiently manage office shutdowns

Download the factsheet now to access these templates and bonus tips on how to efficiently manage office shutdowns. 

Generic out-of-office message template

If you’re going to be away from your desk for an extended period of time — say on a vacation, sick leave, or just taking a day off, it’s considered proper work etiquette to set an out of office message. These messages help to ensure that your team and the business continues to run smoothly until you return; otherwise, people might take things the wrong way when they don’t get a response from you.

Out-of-office messages are essentially automatic email replies that notify your colleagues and contacts of your absence if they need to contact you for work. That way, they’ll be aware of the dates you’ll be away for, and won’t be expecting an instant response from you.

Setting an out-of-office message also does wonders for your mental health. When you’re clear about your vacation dates and how you won’t be checking your inbox or responding to emails, you’ll be able to get the proper rest your mind and body needs.

Thank you for your email. I’m away on annual leave from [date] to [date], for [reason]. Please expect a delayed response from me as I won’t be actively checking my inbox during this period.

If your request is urgent, please contact [name of colleague + their job title] for assistance at [email, phone number, etc.]. Otherwise, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible when I return.

Kind regards,

[insert name]

I am currently out-of-office and sipping cocktails on a beach somewhere. I won’t be answering emails until I’m back on [date].

In the meantime, here are some fun facts to keep you busy:

• The fingerprints of a koala are so indistinguishable from humans that they have on occasion been confused at a crime scene.
• The code in ‘The Matrix’ movie comes from sushi recipes.
• There are more trees on earth than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

If you need urgent assistance, reach out to [name of colleague + their job title] at [email, phone number, etc.]. If you can wait, then enjoy these fun facts and I’ll get back to you when I can.

Office closed for Christmas email template

The annual Christmas break usually entails office closures for some companies. But because it’s not a universal practice, it’s always good to be accountable to your customers and clients. They may not be aware that your office will be closed and might need help while your team is out.

Business never stops — so it pays to be proactive and inform your customers regarding when you won’t be available, well in advance. It shows that you care, and also provides a great opportunity to re-engage them.

As you know, the festive season is arriving and we are all eagerly looking forward to the holidays.

This email is to inform you in advance that our office will be closed from [date] to [date]. Our team will be taking this time off to spend the wonderful holiday season with their families and friends.

During this period, we may take longer than usual to reply to your messages. For general inquiries, feel free to check out our [insert link to Help Centre] while we work through our support tickets. If your request is urgent, please contact [name of colleague + their job title] for assistance at [email, phone number, etc.].

We’ll be returning on [insert date] and will immediately review any outstanding issues.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Season’s greetings!

It’s our favourite time of the year, which means our team is currently out of the office from [date] to [date] — chugging mugs of cocoa, feasting on gingerbread cookies, and attempting to finish as many holiday movies as they can with family and friends.

We’ll be back up to speed on [date] and will respond to your message then. If you need immediate assistance, please send an email to [name of colleague + their job title] at [email, phone number, etc.] so that the other elves in this workshop can help you out.

Happy ho ho holidays!

Office closed for public holidays template

These generic email templates can be used whenever you have public holidays throughout the year.

Want to know more? Check out our handy public holidays factsheet here .

Our business will be celebrating [public holiday] this month, so we will be out of office on [date].

For this reason, we will be slower to respond than usual. You can check out our [insert link to Help Desk] if you have any urgent questions, but rest assured we’ll get back to you as soon as we return.

Thank you for your kind understanding.

Thanks for your email. I’m currently offline due to [public holiday], returning on [date].

While I won’t be leaving the country, I will still be completely disconnected from my inbox until my return. If you require immediate assistance, please send your email to [name of colleague + their job title] at [email], and they will be able to assist you.

More office closure templates for holidays in Singapore

Office will be closed for chinese new year.

Please be informed that our office will be closed from [date] to [date] for the Chinese New Year holidays. Business will resume on [date].

For urgent matters, please email [insert email] or contact us at [insert phone number].

Wishing you a prosperous Lunar New Year!

Office will be closed for Deepavali/Diwali

Please be informed that our office will be closed from [date] to [date] for the Deepavali holidays. Business will resume on [date].

May you all enjoy a happy and blessed occasion with your families and loved ones.

Happy Diwali!

Office will be closed for National Day

Please be informed that our office will be closed on [date] in celebration of National Day. Business will resume on [date].

Happy National Day to you!

Office will be closed for Hari Raya Haji

Please be informed that our office will be closed from [date] to [date] in celebration of Hari Raya Haji. Business will resume on [date].

Happy Hari Raya Haji! We wish all of our Muslim friends a Happy Eid with their families and friends.

Happy holidays! Take the stress out of the wonderful holiday season

Now that you’re armed with all these ‘office closed for holiday’ message templates, what’s left to worry about? Download our factsheet today to access our full suite of templates, and learn more about how you can efficiently manage holiday shutdowns.

Managing annual leave doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing. All you need is a great HR software that does the work for you — while you reap the benefits of structure, efficiency and productivity.

Employment Hero does all that and more for you and your business, with the click of a button. Say goodbye to mindless admin work today, and bask in all the holiday cheer!

For more helpful tips, check out our Guide to Leave Management .

Other useful resources:

• Singapore public holidays 2022/2023
• Government-paid paternity leave (GPPL): How can businesses claim it?
• The essential guide to HR compliance in Singapore
• Payroll guide: The basics of payroll in Singapore

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