F&B staff not allowed to take MC because of staff shortage, is this even legal?
So my sister is a baker at a bakery. Yesterday she came down with food poisoning, those of you who got it before would know it’s no joke and you will not be in any condition to work.
Turns out the bakery does not have any back-up staff to cover her so she was denied her MC for yesterday and today, both days she had to work while suffering the effects of food poisoning.
Of course she doesn’t work 7 days a week, there is some rotation on her off-days, but seems like there is absolutely no reserve for contingencies, seems like they’re expecting their staff to fulfil their assigned shifts even when they are sick.
It’s not her fault that her employer can’t have enough staff on standby, the bakery can close early or have no bread for the day, it’s not her problem. Her health is more important.
I’m thinking this is confirm not legal and I want to tell her to complain to MOM, I’m sure there are some regulations against forcing employees to work while unwell What do you guys think?
Netizens’ comments
- Whats stopping her from seeing a doc to get MC anyway? If company threaten to fire her cuz of her MC it’s illegal.
- Definitely illegal but if she want to take it to MOM, then no more job for her, simple as that.
Taking MC is frowned upon in FnB because there’s generally zero backup, not sure why her boss didn’t just ask her colleagues to come in and cover for her.
Is her company big like Breadtalk or just small single bakery? If big, can go HR. Small, no HR to complain to. Just talk to her superior and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Or find another job, baking skills is quite sought after.
Edit: If she took MC and the company still asks her to come in, it’s illegal. If it’s over a phone call and it’s a she said he said situation no MC, it’ll be hard to prove anything. - She should have made a show of puking into the ingredients. That will show the manager to force an already ill employee to still turn up for work.
- Yeap not her problem. But then she still show up to work so that signals to her employer that she’s a pushover.
- Food poisoning can be very contagious, especially if it causes diarrhoea. If she’s handling food with food poisoning, under the coercion of her employer, I would like to see this bakery investigated by the relevant government authority.
- The company needs her more then she needs them. Just take the MC. F&b staff are sought after and she will have no issues finding a job