KUALA LUMPUR – UEM Edgenta Bhd strongly maintains that the company prohibits any form of discrimination, harassment, or unethical practices towards its employees and abides by the mandatory requirements of the Employment Act 1955.
This applies to all employment practices within the company, and hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs.
In a statement to The Vibes, the company pointed to several online platforms accessible by all of its healthcare support services (HSS) employees, including “PrihatinLine”, to allow them to communicate directly with the management and resolve any issues amicably.
Additionally, UEM Edgenta has also established whistleblowing channels for similar purposes which is publicly accessible through the company’s website.
The statement was issued in response to an article published by The Vibes’ online news portal on March 2, 2021, which purported that Edgenta UEMS is appealing against a January 2021 Labour Court decision to compensate one of its HSS employees for unpaid overtime wages. The article also alleged that Edgenta UEMS had discriminated against the employee.
“We take the allegations made against our company very seriously. Edgenta UEMS have taken steps to address the issue with the affected employee directly,” a company spokesperson said.
The company maintains that it does not discriminate against employees with regards to work practices and maintains a strict code of conduct, which emphasises on employee well-being, operational safety, and respect. This code applies to all its employees, including over 2,200 HSS employees, all of whom are required to follow working hours according to their employment agreement with Edgenta UEMS.
Edgenta UEMS’ decision to appeal against the Labour Court ruling is premised on the belief that the employee in question is not entitled to the payment. Therefore, the company believes that if it does not appeal, this will encourage other employees to claim for payments that they are not entitled to. The aim is to ensure that the company applies the same standards and practices to all of its employees with regards to employment conditions and benefits.
In recent years, the company has shown its commitment to improve the well-being and livelihoods of its HSS employees delivering essential services. In January 2020, Edgenta UEMS welcomed over 2,200 new HSS employees in Malaysia, ending their previous contract employment with subcontractors and offering them full benefits applicable to all full-time employees.
Through this insourcing arrangement, all Edgenta UEMS’ HSS employees started to enjoy national minimum wage, permanent employment, and a myriad of other benefits including EPF contribution and healthcare benefits, among others. Additionally, a company funded cash incentive to all HSS employees was disbursed last year as an incentive for the employees’ dedication throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
To ensure the safety and health of all its HSS employees delivering essential services at Health Ministry (MoH) hospitals under its care, guidelines on working attire, including no jewelry permitted to be worn at work are in place to comply with MoH protocols as a measure to protect employees, patients and the general public at these hospitals. – The Vibes, March 10, 2021
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