New rules on part-time work

30 September 2010

PUTRAJAYA: Only those working between 30% and 70% of the eight-hour stretch daily will be considered part-timers under new rules from next month, said Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said if a full day’s work was considered to be eight hours, workers would have to put in between 2.5 hours and 5.6 hours each day to qualify as part-timers.

He said staff working below 30% of the eight-hour stretch would be categorised as casual workers while those putting in more than 70% were full-timers.

“However, we are allowing flexibility in the number of hours put in by part-timers for each day. Employers can decide if they want to calculate the number of hours on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.

“For example, employers can choose to allow part-timers to work eight hours in one day but then put in less hours another day,” he told reporters here.

Dr Subramaniam said the new rules, which were expected to benefit 6.8 million latent workers, would allow part-timers to find regular employment.

He said it would also enable employers to regularly hire staff that they did not require on a full-time basis as well as give better protection to part-timers by outlining the compensation they were entitled to if they were involved in workplace accidents.

Asked if the new rules would cause some employers to choose to hire more part-timers, Dr Subramaniam said this would not be in the best interest of companies.

“This is because not all jobs can be handled by workers coming in for only a limited number of hours.

“Employers will also save little by doing this because they will have to pay wages and EPF and Socso contributions for part-timers on a pro-rated basis.

“Part-timers will be entitled to leave, including medical leave, for which the days are also to be calculated on a pro-rated basis,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/30/nation/7130137&sec=nation