“Aunty, I was in the hospital’s emergency room because I had lost 2 fingers in an accident. But I was not warded. The doctor gave me 2 weeks MC to recover after the procedure. My HR said this is MC, not hospitalisation leave because I wasn’t warded. Is it true??”
Like, omg. This is losing two fingers, not a paper cut, why your HR like that?!
Anyway, what you’ve described sounds like a day surgery, also known as ambulatory surgery or outpatient surgery. This refers to a hospital-level medical procedure where a patient undergoes a surgery and is discharged on the same day, without requiring an overnight stay. Examples include cataract removal, wisdom tooth extraction or, like in your case, amputation.
According to Section 60F of the Employment Act 1955, this would be classified as hospitalisation leave because the law states that if a doctor certifies that you need to be hospitalised “for any reason whatsoever” you shall be deemed to be hospitalised – even you did not stay overnight.
If you had a minor amputation, the recovery is not the same as a common flu MC. The doctor’s certification is what that matters, NOT whether you were warded overnight.
HR cannot simply decide that this isn’t hospitalisation leave just because you didn’t sleep in a hospital bed. If the procedure required hospital-level care and the doctor issued an MC covering a longer recovery period, it should be hospitalisation leave. Period.
If your HR is so unempathic and so rigid, try getting the hospital to chop “hospitalisation leave” on the MC chit. Many hospitals will help do this if requested.
HR friends, let’s get this right – hospitalisation leave isn’t just about being warded being warded overnight. It’s about the level of treatment and recovery needed. Don’t deny the employee’s rightful hospitalisation leave.
Because remember… karma is real.
xoxoxo, AuntyHR
