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Local eatery chain Eighteen Chefs has withdrawn a memo informing employees that they must provide a photo of them at a clinic for their sick leave to be valid.<\/p>\n
Alison, who worked at the eatery for several years, told Shin Min Daily News that she received the memo through messaging platform WhatsApp <\/strong>last month,<\/strong> with the policy to be implemented with immediate effect.<\/p>\n It stated that all staff members on sick leave are required to provide a valid medical certificate (MC), along with a “photo of themselves taken at the clinic during consultation”.<\/p>\n The memo also said that the eatery will not accept MCs from teleconsultation clinics.<\/p>\n “The company issued this without any advance notice or explanation,” Shin Min quoted the employee as saying.<\/p>\n “We are surprised and we feel it is very unfair. We dare not request for sick leave.”<\/p>\n Eighteen Chefs told the Chinese publication that the notice issued by its human resource department was withdrawn shortly after it had alerted the company\u2019s senior management, adding that no employee has been disciplined or punished.<\/p>\n According to the Employment Act, employers must recognise MCs issued by a medical practitioner registered under the Medical Registration Act or Dental Registration Act, which includes those through teleconsultation.<\/p>\n Alison said that she was later informed that the eatery had withdrawn the notice five days later, but added that her colleagues remained concerned.<\/p>\n AsiaOne has contacted Eighteen Chefs for more information.<\/p>\n [[nid:719734]]<\/p>\n chingshijie@asiaone.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n