KUALA LUMPUR: A man who requested paternity leave to care for his wife after she gave birth was asked to resign from his job.
In a posting which has been circulating on the short video platform TikTok, user d0nutsambal shared a series of screenshots of text messages between him and his supervisor at work.
The conversation revolved around him requesting for an earlier paternity leave because his wife delivered the couple's baby earlier than expected.
Surprisingly, the supervisor, who initially requested proof of the wife going into labour told the man to quit. The supervisor said he "no longer wants" the worker and that he had already found a replacement.
The video has been viewed over a million times, galvanising support for him to fight for his rights and escalate the situation to authorities.
"(Your) rights as a worker must be respected," said user @AhmadKudin, "so please lodge a complaint to the Department of Labour near your office."
Another user, @SugarCake, also advised the user to contact the same department.
"Go to the Labour Office and explain the situation to them. They will tell you if there is a case."
According to the Employment Act 1955 (Amendment) 2022, paternity leave begins on the date the employee's wife gives birth and lasts seven days if the conditions are met.
The Act was enacted to allow husbands to care for their wives and children, as well as manage birth-related issues.
