Top HR Solutions was the very first institution to organize the courses on Labour Laws in the field of Human Resources.

Since I had started my career as an HR staff for quite a number of years, I can tell you how I had to carry out my responsibilities.  I searched and collected books on labour laws for my reference; however, I was still hesitant.  Therefore, I decided to have a teacher who could enlighten me so as to be thorough with labour laws.  During those days, although the Ministry of Labour’s website is available, list of books on labour laws were incomplete. We had to start compiling the laws first and we admit that we were the first to carry out this task. The essence and the application of these laws were compiled together with relevant notifications so as to be used as a reference book.  A retired high-level official with 35 years of service at the Ministry of Labour himself was not only involved in the compilation of this book but also in drawing up the tailor-made courses on Labour Laws.  These courses enable HR Professionals to understand and apply the labour laws accordingly at their respective workplaces.

It so happens that when some students ask about the available books on labour laws, we were unable to provide them: we only distributed handouts to the students at the course. For them, these handouts cannot be applied nor used as reference when dealing with their employers.  We suggested them to buy the books at the Township Labour Offices but it was not possible for them to get all the books on labour laws.  Moreover, notifications concerning on labour laws were not included in those books. 

Consequently, we intended to publish a consolidated Reference Book with related labour laws and its notifications.  For this purpose, Top HR submitted the draft table of contents to the Ministry of Labour for their guidance & approval and requested them also to write the preface.  The then Director General of the Ministry of Labour was satisfied with the compiled list of labour laws and he agreed to its publication.  In fact there were already several books published on the labour laws but none of these books can be considered a reference book. 

Finally when this reference book was published, it was said: “a Reference Book essential for every employer as well as all HR personnel”; a handy tool at the workplace.

Hence, with the knowledge on labour laws and a Reference Book in hand, will you become an HR personnel?  HR personnel should be able to apply the prescribed labour laws accordingly in solving issues at the workplace.

So, if you do not know the prescribed labour laws & its related notifications, what will happen?

A young entrepreneur’s incident.

A small business owner having less than 10 employees was unable to recruit an HR staff.  One day, it so happened that an employee was hospitalized due to appendicitis.  The employer was sympathetic with him and paid all his medical expenses.  In fact, if an employee is injured or an unexpected health problem occurs while at the workplace, he/she is entitled legally for all the medical expenses [consultation, treatment, medicines].  In other words, any injury or any health problem were to occur outside the workplace, the employer is not obliged to pay or compensate for it.  However,   he can of course pay voluntarily if he wishes. This employee was then a non-member of the Social Security Board and he could not afford to pay all his medical expenses.  Therefore his employer had not only paid his medical expenses but also paid for his food while he was hospitalized.

At the end of the month, the employer deducted the number of days the employee was hospitalized from his salary (being absent from work).  The employer was unaware that the employee was entitled for his medical leave and that no deduction was to be made.  The employer had asked me why he had to pay for the days he was absent from work; so I had to explain to him about the medical leave that an employee is entitled.

In this particular case, the employer should not have deducted for the days he was hospitalized as he was entitled to take medical leave.  In other words, the employee was to receive his pay without any deductions.  The cost of medical expenses [consultation, treatment, medicines, etc.] were of course much more than the cost of food expenses while in hospital.  However, whatever the employee is entitled, the employer should pay the employee.

In view of this incident, it is essential that employers as well as HR personnel should have a sound knowledge on the benefits entitled to employees. Otherwise, undesirable problems could occur at the workplace and it could be considered that your company is not observing the prescribed labour laws & its notifications and rules & regulations. 

Salary alone is not enough to attract the best employees existing in the market; benefits are also included in the total reward.  After all, it is a competition for the employers.

In conclusion, would it be fine to pay more than what is mentioned as in the prescribed laws?  If so, which items?   Therefore, to have competent HR personnel is a requisite for any business firm. 

Another incident

One company offered an incentive: casual leave 10 days instead of 6 days which is legally entitled according to the prescribed rules & regulations.  

It is incorrect to increase the casual leave days from 6 days to 10 days as this type of leave can be taken without prior permission; this certainly led to undesired inconveniences.  Neither party [the employee & the employer] is happy nor satisfied!

When employees approached the trade union for discussions, the trade union rectified - 10 days to 6 days casual leave – From the trade union’s point of view, the employees are just creating problems.

Believing that 10 days casual leave are entitled and in case the employer finds fault and if disputes occur, the legal decision is 6 days and not 10 days for casual leave.

In my opinion, I would say that Trust was not built and from this incident, it can be said that – prescribed rules & regulations being unknown, actions were either taken illegally or legally.  In other words, correct payment should be made to employees in accordance with the prescribed rules &regulations and at the same time, it should be justified legally.

Therefore, entrepreneurs as well as HR professionals should observe legally the labour laws and its notifications when implementing the HR management processes. 

Top HR Solutions was the very first institution to organize the courses on Labour Laws in the field of Human Resources.

Since I had started my career as an HR staff for quite a number of years, I can tell you how I had to carry out my responsibilities.  I searched and collected books on labour laws for my reference; however, I was still hesitant.  Therefore, I decided to have a teacher who could enlighten me so as to be thorough with labour laws.  During those days, although the Ministry of Labour’s website is available, list of books on labour laws were incomplete. We had to start compiling the laws first and we admit that we were the first to carry out this task. The essence and the application of these laws were compiled together with relevant notifications so as to be used as a reference book.  A retired high-level official with 35 years of service at the Ministry of Labour himself was not only involved in the compilation of this book but also in drawing up the tailor-made courses on Labour Laws.  These courses enable HR Professionals to understand and apply the labour laws accordingly at their respective workplaces.

It so happens that when some students ask about the available books on labour laws, we were unable to provide them: we only distributed handouts to the students at the course. For them, these handouts cannot be applied nor used as reference when dealing with their employers.  We suggested them to buy the books at the Township Labour Offices but it was not possible for them to get all the books on labour laws.  Moreover, notifications concerning on labour laws were not included in those books. 

Consequently, we intended to publish a consolidated Reference Book with related labour laws and its notifications.  For this purpose, Top HR submitted the draft table of contents to the Ministry of Labour for their guidance & approval and requested them also to write the preface.  The then Director General of the Ministry of Labour was satisfied with the compiled list of labour laws and he agreed to its publication.  In fact there were already several books published on the labour laws but none of these books can be considered a reference book. 

Finally when this reference book was published, it was said: “a Reference Book essential for every employer as well as all HR personnel”; a handy tool at the workplace.

Hence, with the knowledge on labour laws and a Reference Book in hand, will you become an HR personnel?  HR personnel should be able to apply the prescribed labour laws accordingly in solving issues at the workplace.

So, if you do not know the prescribed labour laws & its related notifications, what will happen?

A young entrepreneur’s incident.

A small business owner having less than 10 employees was unable to recruit an HR staff.  One day, it so happened that an employee was hospitalized due to appendicitis.  The employer was sympathetic with him and paid all his medical expenses.  In fact, if an employee is injured or an unexpected health problem occurs while at the workplace, he/she is entitled legally for all the medical expenses [consultation, treatment, medicines].  In other words, any injury or any health problem were to occur outside the workplace, the employer is not obliged to pay or compensate for it.  However,   he can of course pay voluntarily if he wishes. This employee was then a non-member of the Social Security Board and he could not afford to pay all his medical expenses.  Therefore his employer had not only paid his medical expenses but also paid for his food while he was hospitalized.

At the end of the month, the employer deducted the number of days the employee was hospitalized from his salary (being absent from work).  The employer was unaware that the employee was entitled for his medical leave and that no deduction was to be made.  The employer had asked me why he had to pay for the days he was absent from work; so I had to explain to him about the medical leave that an employee is entitled.

In this particular case, the employer should not have deducted for the days he was hospitalized as he was entitled to take medical leave.  In other words, the employee was to receive his pay without any deductions.  The cost of medical expenses [consultation, treatment, medicines, etc.] were of course much more than the cost of food expenses while in hospital.  However, whatever the employee is entitled, the employer should pay the employee.

In view of this incident, it is essential that employers as well as HR personnel should have a sound knowledge on the benefits entitled to employees. Otherwise, undesirable problems could occur at the workplace and it could be considered that your company is not observing the prescribed labour laws & its notifications and rules & regulations. 

Salary alone is not enough to attract the best employees existing in the market; benefits are also included in the total reward.  After all, it is a competition for the employers.

In conclusion, would it be fine to pay more than what is mentioned as in the prescribed laws?  If so, which items?   Therefore, to have competent HR personnel is a requisite for any business firm. 

Another incident

One company offered an incentive: casual leave 10 days instead of 6 days which is legally entitled according to the prescribed rules & regulations.  

It is incorrect to increase the casual leave days from 6 days to 10 days as this type of leave can be taken without prior permission; this certainly led to undesired inconveniences.  Neither party [the employee & the employer] is happy nor satisfied!

When employees approached the trade union for discussions, the trade union rectified - 10 days to 6 days casual leave – From the trade union’s point of view, the employees are just creating problems.

Believing that 10 days casual leave are entitled and in case the employer finds fault and if disputes occur, the legal decision is 6 days and not 10 days for casual leave.

In my opinion, I would say that Trust was not built and from this incident, it can be said that – prescribed rules & regulations being unknown, actions were either taken illegally or legally.  In other words, correct payment should be made to employees in accordance with the prescribed rules &regulations and at the same time, it should be justified legally.

Therefore, entrepreneurs as well as HR professionals should observe legally the labour laws and its notifications when implementing the HR management processes.