SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employee claimed on social media that her boss scolded her and implied that she was lying about her condition when she extended her medical leave to four days.
Posting on Reddit’s ‘Ask Singapore’ forum on Thursday (Jan 9), the employee said that her medical leave was only supposed to be for two days, but because her migraine didn’t improve and she developed a high fever, she was forced to extend it to four days.
She also informed her manager about her condition and even sent a picture of her thermometer to show how high her fever was. However, though she provided this proof, the director of the family business, an elderly woman who occasionally stepped into the office, remained unconvinced.
“She asked how many MCs I’ve taken since 2024 and told me I should get a full body check-up. I explained my situation and emphasized my history of migraines, but she replied sarcastically, saying, ‘You speak so well,’” she explained.
On the fourth day of her leave, the director also messaged her and told her that “in her 30 years of running a business, she’s never seen employees extending MCs like this”.
“She also mentioned how my absence is causing a worker shortage and that my coworkers might have to work overtime because of me. She even brought up how the company recently sent two engineers overseas, as if to highlight the additional strain,” she said.
The employee clarified in her post that she did not exceed her medical leave entitlement in 2024.
“This whole experience has been very upsetting. This month, I’m collecting my BTO keys, and next month, I’m getting married,” she said.
“This situation has made me feel very low, especially since I was genuinely unwell and not trying to take advantage of sick leave. Is this normal workplace behaviour, or am I being treated unfairly?” she asked the community.
‘Your life and health should be prioritised more than your job’
In the comments, a lot of users felt bad for the employee and advised her to find a new job immediately, as staying in her current workplace might negatively affect her well-being.
One user said, “Please start looking for another job. Your life and health should be prioritised more than your job. My previous workplace wouldn’t allow me to take MC unless I have Covid and cancelled my leaves when I took them for my exams.”
Another commented, “Toxic. Was in a similar situation. I learned to not sacrifice myself for any company. Their problem is not my problem but mismanagement on their part. Time to move on.”
A third user pointed out, “In her 30 years of her career she has been running the same company, what makes her think she has seen it all?”
Still, there were a few users who surprisingly agreed with the director’s stance. They argued that many employees misuse medical leave, and because of this, employers often become more sceptical or cautious when someone takes time off.
One user added, “To be honest, this is real ah if my coworkers keep not coming and I have to take over THE SAME person all the time I swear I will be pissed.”
Paid sick leave and hospitalisation leave
As per the Ministry of Manpower (MoM), employees are entitled to paid outpatient sick leave and paid hospitalisation leave if they are covered by the Employment Act, have worked for their employer for at least 3 months, and have notified their employer of their absence within 48 hours.
The number of paid sick leave days an employee is entitled to depends on their length of service. Employees are eligible for up to 14 days of paid outpatient sick leave and 60 days of paid hospitalisation leave.
Employees who’ve been with their employer for six months or more are entitled to the full leave.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)