KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) would support hybrid work cultures and flexible working arrangements (FWA) at companies suited to these and if they improve productivity.
Employers who provide such options would also be seen as more responsive, MEF vice-president Nik Mustapha Nik Mohamed told Malay Mail in a recent interview.
“If the employee becomes more productive because of that flexibility, then why not?
“If I’m the employer, I will encourage it!” he said.
Employees may also work better with such arrangements as they would have the flexibility to deal with household issues that would otherwise preoccupy them in the office, he explained.
“We want employers to recognise that when you give flexibility to the employee, they become more productive,” he said.
An amendment to the Employment Act 1955 that came into effect on September 1 last year now permits employees to apply for FWA with their employers, ranging from modified working days and hours to the place of work.
The application must be made in writing and the employer must provide an agreement or rejection within 60 days of the request, the deputy minister of human resources at the time, Datuk Awang Hashim reportedly said.
