Key Updates In Employment And Industrial Relation

Amendments to the Employment Act 1955

On 30 March 2021, the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2021 was passed by the Dewan Rakyat which included much-welcomed amendments to the Employment Act 1955 which will better serve to improve the welfare of the labour force in the country. The Employment (Amendment) Act 2022 was initially planned  to be implemented on 1 September 2022. However, in late August 2022, it was announced that the implementation of these amendments will be deferred to 1 January 2023. 

Some of the key amendments to the Employment Act 1955, amongst others, include: 

• Section 37 - Increased maternity leave from 60 days to 98 days; 
• Section 60A - Reduced the weekly working hours from a maximum of 48 hours to 45 hours;