A 30-year-old Thai factory worker died allegedly after her manager refused to approve her sick leave. The woman, identified as May, reportedly died after she collapsed at work. The worker hailed from Sukhothai province and worked at an electronics company in Bang Pu Industrial Estate in Muang Samut Prakan province.
According to the Bangkok Post report, she was suffering from an inflamed large intestine and went on medical leave from September 5 to September 9 on the doctor’s advice. She was sent home after four days in the hospital, but her condition did not improve.
May asked for approval for another sick leave on September 12 because her condition was deteriorating. Her manager dismissed the request, saying she needed to go back to work and present a fresh medical note.
Due to the fear of losing her job, May went back to work on September 13. Unfortunately, she started feeling unwell after 20 minutes. As per reports, May was admitted to a nearby hospital and had emergency surgery. Sadly, she died the next day because of NEC-related complications.
Delta Electronics Thailand issued a statement on the incident on September 17. The company apologised for the incident and the death of its employee. “At Delta Electronics, our people are the foundation of our success, and we are devastated by this loss," said CEO Victor Cheng, Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL.
It said that it would carry out a detailed inquiry into events that led to May’s death, and it would publish the results. Cheng said that the primary idea of the company was to help the employee’s family in such challenging times. He insisted that Delta Electronics will continue to do its part to be as open and accountable as possible while pointing out that the company will provide updates as they become available.
With reference to Thailand’s Labor Protection Act passed in 1998, the standard working week is 48 hours and workers are paid extra for working beyond it. Workers engaged in hazardous employment are allowed to work only 42 hours a week. The employees have specifically been provided with the right to be given at least 6 days of paid annual leave. Pregnant employees can availed up to 98 days of maternity leave of which the employer must pay for 45 days.
However, the law does not provide for a situation where an employee suffers from a health complications that will prevent them from working.
Comments
0 comment