Malaysia's leave policy encompasses various forms of paid and unpaid leave to support employee well-being and work-life balance, including annual leave, public holidays, sick leave, maternity and paternity leave, and other special leave types. Employers hiring employees from Malaysia or through an Employer of Record (EOR) in Malaysia must comply with these regulations to maintain a fair and supportive workplace. Gloroots helps you manage these entitlements efficiently, ensuring seamless tracking and organization of leave requests for your employees.

Annual Leave (Vacation)

• Paid leave in Malaysia is based on the duration of service as outlined in the employment contract.
• This paid leave is in addition to public holidays.
• Employees in their first two years are entitled to eight days of paid leave annually.
• From the third to the fifth year, employees receive 12 days of paid leave per year.
• Employees with over five years of service are entitled to 16 days of paid leave annually.
• It is common to start with 12-15 days of paid leave per year, increasing with seniority.
• Leave accrual is calculated from January to December.

Public Holidays

• 1 Jan 2024, Monday: New Year’s Day
• 25 Jan 2024, Thursday: Thaipusam (Kaula Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, major states of Malaysia)
• 1 Feb 2024, Thursday: Federal Territory Day (Federal Territory – Capital City)
• 10 Feb 2024, Saturday: Chinese New Year
• 11 Feb 2024, Sunday: Chinese New Year
• 12 Feb 2024, Monday: Chinese New Year (Day off in Lieu)
• 28 Mar 2024, Thursday: Nuzul Al-Quran
• 10 Apr 2024, Wednesday: Hari Raya Aidilfitri
• 11 Apr 2024, Thursday: Hari Raya Aidilfitri
• 1 May 2024, Wednesday: Labour Day
• 22 May 2024, Wednesday: Wesak Day
• 3 Jun 2024, Monday: Agong’s Birthday
• 17 Jun 2024, Monday: Hari Raya Haji
• 7 Jul 2024, Sunday: Awal Muharram
• 8 Jul 2024, Monday: Awal Muharram (Replacement)
• 31 Aug 2024, Saturday: Merdeka Day
• 16 Sep 2024, Monday: Malaysia Day
• 16 Sep 2024, Monday: Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday
• 17 Sep 2024, Monday: Malaysia Day Holiday (Day Off in Lieu)
• 31 Oct 2024, Thursday: Deepavali
• 11 Dec 2024, Wednesday: Sultan Selangor’s Birthday (Selangor)
• 25 Dec 2024, Wednesday: Christmas Day

Sick Days

In Malaysia, paid sick leave is defined in the employment contract and varies based on the employee's length of service and the provision of a professional medical certificate.

• Employees with less than two years of service are entitled to 14 days of sick leave annually.
• Those with two to five years of service are eligible for 18 days of sick leave each year.
• Employees with over five years of service can receive up to 22 days of sick leave per year.
• Additionally, workers who are hospitalized are entitled to 60 days of hospitalization leave annually, which is granted in addition to the standard sick leave.

Maternity Leave

Pregnant employees in Malaysia are granted 70 days of paid maternity leave, divided into 30 days before the expected delivery date and 40 days after giving birth. Additionally, employees can request up to four extra months of unpaid leave following the conclusion of their maternity leave.

Female employees in the private sector are entitled to 98 consecutive days of fully paid statutory maternity leave.

• The maternity leave period cannot begin more than 30 days before the expected due date.
• This entitlement applies only to a female employee’s first five surviving children.

A female employee may return to work at any point during the 98 days if:

• She has her employer's approval.
• She is medically certified as fit to resume work.

Paternity Leave

In Malaysia, married fathers who have completed 12 months of service are entitled to 7 consecutive days of fully paid leave for each birth. Employers must be notified 30 days in advance of the expected due date.

Parental Leave

Malaysia does not have a mandated parental leave policy.

Carer's leave 

Since the Malaysian Employment Act does not currently specify any carer's leave benefits, employees are not legally entitled to them. Therefore, it is at the employer's discretion to offer such benefits.

Rest Day leave 

Malaysian employees are guaranteed at least one rest day each week. Although Sundays are commonly chosen, if weekend work is necessary, a different day of the week must be provided as a rest day.

When an employer requires an employee to work on their rest day, they must pay the employee at a minimum rate of double their usual hourly wage.

Hassle-Free Leave Policy Management in Malaysia with Gloroots

At Gloroots, we understand that managing leave policies can be complex, especially when expanding your business and hiring internationally. Our platform ensures compliance with Malaysia's labor laws, keeps accurate leave balances, processes leave requests seamlessly and generates detailed leave reports. By partnering with Gloroots, you can concentrate on growing your business while we manage the complexities of employee leave administration. Contact us to learn how Gloroots can simplify your HR processes and enhance your operations in Malaysia.