Bosses face fine for ignoring sex harassment complaints
PUTRAJAYA: Employers will face a RM10,000 fine if they fail to act or investigate complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace. The fine is part of a provision to compel employers to use the current Code of Practice to prevent and eradicate sexual harassment at workplaces. “This will ensure that all employers treat sexual harassment cases seriously and investigate all complaints of such nature,” Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said.
He said the new provision would be incorporated into the Employment Act 1955 under a proposed amendment that is now with the Attorney-General’s Chambers. Dr Fong said the lukewarm response by employers in adopting the Code of Practice had prompted the Government to better protect workers, especially the more than four million women employees in the country. “Since the Code of Practice to prevent sexual harassment was introduced in 1999, only 1,225 employers adopted and used it,” he told reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting here yesterday.
He said the amendments would also compel employers to have an in-house mechanism to hear and investigate complaints of this nature. Since 2001, women’s groups have been calling for a bill to compel employers to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace. Dr Fong said the final draft of the amendments to the Act was submitted to the AG’s Chambers three months ago for approval before tabling it in Parliament. “I hope the AG’s Chambers will approve the amendments as soon as possible for us to move forward,” he said, adding that the Government viewed sexual harassment at workplaces as a serious issue. He said this, however, would not prevent the harasser or offender from being charged in court. “What we want to ensure is that complaints of this nature is looked into,” he said. Dr Fong also said the Cabinet had agreed to the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry for the revival of a Wage Council to better protect the more than 70,000 workers in the hotel industry.
“The terms of service and wages of hotel workers are not clear,” he said, adding that the commission would carry out a six-month study. Some of the areas that will be looked into are the long working hours, overtime pay, rest and off days. Dr Fong said the commission, to be headed by an expert from the private sector, would comprise representatives of hotel operators and employees.
Source : The Star
He said the new provision would be incorporated into the Employment Act 1955 under a proposed amendment that is now with the Attorney-General’s Chambers. Dr Fong said the lukewarm response by employers in adopting the Code of Practice had prompted the Government to better protect workers, especially the more than four million women employees in the country. “Since the Code of Practice to prevent sexual harassment was introduced in 1999, only 1,225 employers adopted and used it,” he told reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting here yesterday.
He said the amendments would also compel employers to have an in-house mechanism to hear and investigate complaints of this nature. Since 2001, women’s groups have been calling for a bill to compel employers to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace. Dr Fong said the final draft of the amendments to the Act was submitted to the AG’s Chambers three months ago for approval before tabling it in Parliament. “I hope the AG’s Chambers will approve the amendments as soon as possible for us to move forward,” he said, adding that the Government viewed sexual harassment at workplaces as a serious issue. He said this, however, would not prevent the harasser or offender from being charged in court. “What we want to ensure is that complaints of this nature is looked into,” he said. Dr Fong also said the Cabinet had agreed to the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry for the revival of a Wage Council to better protect the more than 70,000 workers in the hotel industry.
“The terms of service and wages of hotel workers are not clear,” he said, adding that the commission would carry out a six-month study. Some of the areas that will be looked into are the long working hours, overtime pay, rest and off days. Dr Fong said the commission, to be headed by an expert from the private sector, would comprise representatives of hotel operators and employees.
Source : The Star
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