Sick leave abuse is one of the most common HR headaches in many Malaysian companies. While genuine medical leave is a legal right, some employees may misuse it — taking unnecessary days off, submitting questionable MCs, or using “sick days” as extra holidays.

If left unchecked, this can hurt productivity, increase workload for others, and disrupt operations. So how can employers address this issue effectively without damaging employee trust?

Let’s explore the right balance between compliance, fairness, and control.

1. Understand the Law: What Sick Leave Entitlement Covers

Under the Employment Act 1955, employees are entitled to paid sick leave if:

• They have been certified unfit to work by a registered medical practitioner, and

• They have completed at least 60 days of service.

The entitlement depends on the employee’s length of service:

If hospitalisation is required, employees are entitled to up to 60 days of paid hospitalisation leave, including the above entitlement.

💡 Note: Employers cannot reject a valid MC issued by a registered medical practitioner, but they can take steps to verify and prevent abuse.

2. Common Signs of MC Abuse

While not every absence is suspicious, recurring patterns often raise red flags:

• Frequent MCs on Mondays or Fridays (“long weekend” pattern)

• Multiple one-day MCs from different clinics

• Taking MC right after annual leave is rejected

• Social media activity showing outings or travel during MC days

• Repeated MCs from the same clinic for vague reasons

Tracking these trends manually can be difficult, especially in larger teams — which is why digital tracking tools help.

3. Strengthen Your Sick Leave Policy

A clear sick leave policy is your best defense against abuse.
Here’s what every company should include:

✅ MC Submission Rules – Employees must submit MCs within 48 hours of absence or risk unpaid leave.
✅ Approved Clinics List – Specify that only MCs from panel or registered clinics will be accepted.
✅ Consequence of Abuse – Repeated false claims can lead to disciplinary action.
✅ Verification Clause – State that HR reserves the right to verify suspicious MCs with the clinic.

With Pandahrms, you can digitize your leave policies, ensuring every employee clearly understands the rules through the online portal or mobile app.

4. Use Digital Leave Tracking to Identify Patterns

Manual MC tracking through Excel or WhatsApp submissions often leads to oversight.
With Pandahrms Leave Management System, HR can:

• Track MC submissions and approval dates automatically.

• View leave patterns and trends (e.g., repeated Monday MCs).

• Require employees to upload photos of their MCs directly into the system.

• Generate reports to help identify potential misuse cases quickly.

This not only helps HR maintain compliance but also improves transparency between employers and employees.

5. Maintain Fairness & Communication

Sometimes, frequent sick leave may signal deeper issues — stress, burnout, or workplace dissatisfaction. Instead of immediately penalising employees, HR can:

• Conduct return-to-work interviews to understand the reason behind frequent absences.

• Offer wellness initiatives or flexible arrangements for genuine health cases.

• Communicate clearly that fake MCs hurt the entire team and reduce morale.

Fair enforcement paired with empathy creates a stronger, more trusting workplace culture.

6. Automate Leave Management for Better Control

The best way to balance compliance and fairness is by automating your HR process.

With Pandahrms, employers can track all leave records in real time, ensuring every sick leave, annual leave, and absence is accurately recorded and updated instantly.

This allows HR and management to maintain clear visibility of employee attendance and make timely decisions before absenteeism affects productivity.

Final Thoughts

Preventing fake MCs isn’t about distrust — it’s about protecting fairness for everyone in the company.
With a transparent leave policy and the right HR tools like Pandahrms, you can easily manage sick leave, monitor attendance, and ensure employees get the rest they truly need — without compromising productivity.