KUALA LUMPUR,
Malaysia — One in four Malaysian employees have faked illnesses to score
medical certificates while one in four of those who have not done so are
willing to pay up to RM25 for a fake MC, a JobStreet.com survey revealed. 
The practice of skipping work without reason has been
costing employers a whopping RM2.9 billion each year, the employment website
said, pointing out that companies have to fork out hefty overtime payments to
workers forced to take on their “sick” colleagues’ shifts.
JobStreet.com said it polled 749 employees across various
industries in June this year to study the prevalence of MC abuse in Malaysia
and discovered that 26 per cent have faked illnesses to escape their duties.
Some even admitted to submitting up to five MCs to their
employers in the last six months, JobStreet.com said.
Asked why they wanted to skip work, the respondents gave
three key reasons: a lack of mood to work; feeling burnt out; or to attend job
interviews.
Although a majority of employees said they have not abused
the MC system, a quarter of those said they were willing to pay for a chit if
they could.
- JobStreet.com also quoted one senior level executive as saying: “I would purchase a MC if my boss does not approve my leave and I need a break after working 14 hours the day before”.
- The survey also polled employers to find out how frequently they experience the problem and revealed that 57 per cent of 1,058 employers had faced the issue.
Asked the kind of action they take against these errant employees, the respondents said they usually sent warning letters or issued verbal warnings, or gave the staff poor performance appraisals.
Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM) president Aresandiran J. said human resource managers should positively address
these cases regularly to curb further abuse.
The Health Ministry said it was
mulling a centralized system to allow employers to track their employees’
medical leave track records.
Source: Agency
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