In-house trainingEmployment Law Essentials for Malaysian Managers

Employment Law Essentials for Malaysian Managers: Know the Rules Before You Act

Participants learn what the Employment Act 1955, the Industrial Relations Act 1967 and the Gig Workers Act mean for their daily decisions. They leave with a "check before you act" guide and a list of when to call HR or a lawyer.

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Employment Law Essentials for Malaysian Managers course cover
Key Outcomes
Know which law applies
e.g., the Employment Act covers Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan, while Sabah and Sarawak have their own labour ordinances
Know the key employee entitlements
e.g., a maximum of 45 working hours a week, 98 days of maternity leave, 7 days of paternity leave
Know the dismissal and complaint route
e.g., a 60-day window to file a claim after dismissal
Spot a gig worker versus an employee
e.g., written contracts, tribunal access and no termination without reason for gig workers

Why teams need this

Managers make employment decisions every week: leave, overtime, warnings, resignations, contractors. Most do not know which law applies. The rules also keep changing: the Employment (Amendment) Act 2022 took effect on 1 January 2023, a new minimum wage applies, and the Gig Workers Act came into force on 31 March 2026.

What changed in 2022
The Ministry of Human Resources lists the 45-hour week, 98 days maternity leave, 7 days paternity leave, flexible working arrangements, and prohibitions on forced labour and discrimination in employment.
Minimum wage
RM1,700 a month, effective 1 February 2025 for employers with five or more employees and professional-activity employers, and 1 August 2025 for all employers (Skrine).
The Gig Workers Act
Effective 31 March 2026. Reports say platforms must give written contracts, enrol gig workers in the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme, avoid terminating without reason and disclose how algorithms assign jobs. Disputes can go to the Gig Workers Tribunal.
Group work and role-play
Teams sort sample scenarios into "which law applies?" and "what should the manager do first?". Then they role-play an employee asking for flexible working and a manager handling a resignation threat.

Exercises use your sector, headcount and typical manager decisions. This course is not legal advice.

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