Implementing 60 hours &

5 days work week rotational shift pattern

Organised by Malaysia HR Forum

3pm, 29 October 2021
About the speaker
Arulkumar Singaraveloo comes with over 21 years of progressive HR experience in a world leading semiconductor
organisation, world biggest nitrile glove manufacturer, oil & gas, education & training and transportation technology.
He graduated with bachelor’s in engineering (UTM) and subsequently obtained an MBA from Strathclyde University.
Arul has taken on roles as HR General Manager at Hartalega Holdings Berhad and Human Resources Director
(Business Consulting Services) at Infineon prior to this. A Business HR Leader who is well acquainted to achieving
business goals by ensuring all HR deliverables are aligned and delivered. Arul is familiar with business operations
including regulatory works of general business operations in Malaysia. In HR, he has deep experience in business
partnering, recruitment, training and development and employee relations (IR/ER), talent management,
performance management with good exposure in compensation & benefits Management. Arul has had experience
setting up a HR team from grounds up. He has led the labour and social compliance framework and has
development developed management systematics on social compliance. He has led large HR teams and workforce
exceeding 9,000 employees during his career. Arul has had his share of experience in turning around an ailing
college as well as advising small and medium businesses in overcoming business challenges from a human
resource point of view. Apart from that, Arul has had his hands in two tech startups in the transport and human
resource field. He has developed numerous HR tools and processes aimed at achieving highest level of productivity
and efficiency. Arul is a speaker, trainer and facilitator and has delivered numerous trainings in human resource
areas namely industrial relations, HR operations, recruitment strategies, operational excellence and others. He is
known for his practicality in managing human resources and industrial relations issues at workplace by employing
reasonable and logical yet practical solution to today’s business needs and introduced numerous tactical strategies
to build a high-performance HR team. Arul is also the founder of Malaysia HR Forum, a fast-growing HR platform in
Malaysia that has over 12,700 members that provides learning opportunities to HR practitioners and business
leaders. Arul is also an avid reader and speaks in numerous engagements and has a passion to guide young
graduates and if often a sought-after speaker for graduates and job seekers. Contact : [email protected]
 Current issues and challenges
The current shift pattern applied by many organisations require a 6 days work with 12 hours work per day. And in some cases,
work on rest day is required. International labour standards mandates one (1) compulsory rest day and prohibits excessive work
hours in any given week. The general norm by leading standards suggest sixty (60) hours work including overtime every seven
(7) days except in emergencies or unusual situations.

Excessive overtime is one of the 11 forced labour indicators₁ defined by International Labour Organisation (ILO) and leading
social compliance audit standards such as Responsible Business Alliances (RBA)₂, Apple Code of Conduct₃, and etc.

The 11 forced labour indicators defined by ILO are:

1. Abuse of vulnerability
2. Deception
3. Restriction of movement
4. Isolation
5. Physical and sexual violence
6. Intimidation and threats
7. Retention of identity documents
8. Withholding of wages
9. Debt bondage
10. Abusive working and living conditions
11. Excessive overtime

Reference:
1.https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/publications/WCMS_203832/lang--en/index.htm
2.https://www.responsiblebusiness.org/
3.https://www.apple.com/euro/supplier-responsibility/j/generic/pdf/2021-apple-code-of-conduct.pdf
 Challenges in recruiting and retaining local workforce
One of the perennial issue plaguing the local employment seen is the shunning of the image of difficult, dangerous and dirty
jobs₁. Among other reasons are the social stigma₃ and long working hours₁. These jobs are often construed as lowly or
demeaning³. As a result, companies now rely on migrant workers to fill in the gaps. But what could companies do to encourage
local workforce to take up jobs in industries such as manufacturing, services and others? What could be the trade off that can be
applied to weather down the above factors?

Long Working
Difficult Dangerous Dirty Hours & Low
Job Job Job Insufficient Wages
Rest Days

Reference:
1. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/08/613549/malaysians-dont-last-long-unfavourable-jobs
2. https://says.com/my/news/why-aren-t-young-malaysians-interested-in-3d-jobs
3. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2016/02/17/malaysians-shun-3d-jobs-because-of-social-stigma-not-low-wages-employers-sa/1062173
 One option to attract and retain local workers is to introduce shorter work hours
and to provide more rest days
??

Work more,
earn more More
rest

Pursue
Healthy Engaged
Lifestyle Workforce

Engage in
hobbies
Work Life
Balance

Fundamental and structural change is required to

??
change the status quo of the operating systematics
 Challenges faced by companies and complaints by workers

1 Long work hours 3 Rest hours between shift change is insufficient (long clock in/clock out, etc)

2 Insufficient rest days 4 Rest hours on rest day in insufficient during shift rotation (night -> morning shift)

Employment Act 1955

Section 2 - Day means;

(a) a continuous period of twenty-four hours beginning at midnight; or
(b) for the purposes of Part XII in respect of an employee engaged in shift work or in work where the normal hours of
work extend beyond midnight, a continuous period of twenty-four hours beginning at any point of time;

Section 59(1A) (1A) Notwithstanding subsection (1) and the interpretation of the expression ―day‖ in subsection 2(1),
in the case of an employee engaged in shift work any continuous period of not less than thirty hours shall constitute a rest day.

Section 60(C)(2) Except in the circumstances described in paragraphs 60A(2)(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), no employer shall require any
employee who is engaged under his contract of service in shift work to work for more than twelve hours in any one day.
 Some examples of shift pattern applied in companies in Malaysia
2 Shift 2 Crew 6 days work, 1 day rest (with rotating rest day to cover work on Sunday/rest day

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
Morning A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
Night B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B
Resting

Supported by resting crew or existing crew is manually split to ensure coverage on the actual rest days.

2 Shift 3 Crew 5 days work, 2-3 day rest.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
Morning A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C A A A A A B B B B B C C
Night B B C C C C C A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C A A A A A
Resting C C B B B A A C C C B B A A A C C B B B A A C C C B B A A A C C B B B A A C C C B B

2 Shift 3 Crew 4 days work, 2 day rest.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
Morning A A A A B B B B C C C C A A A A B B B B C C C C A A A A B B B B C C C C A A A A B B
Night B B C C C C A A A A B B B B C C C C A A A A B B B B C C C C A A A A B B B B C C C C
Resting C C B B A A C C B B A A C C B B A A C C B B A A C C B B A A C C B B A A C C B B A A
Some examples of shift pattern applied in companies in Malaysia
3 Shift 3 Crew 5 days work, 2 day rest with no fixed crew on Sat & Sun (or) 6 days work, 1 rest day with no fixed crew on Sun

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
Morning A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
Afternoon B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B
Night C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C
Resting

3 Shift 4 Crew 5 days work, 2-2-1 day rest

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
Morning A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C D D D D D A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C D D D D D A A
Afternoon C C D D D D D A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C D D D D D A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C
Night B B B B C C C C C D D D D D A A A A A B B B B B C C C C C D D D D D A A A A A B B B
Resting D D C C B A A D D C B B A A D C C B B A D D C C B A A D D C B B A A D C C B B A D D

3 Shift 4 Crew 4 days work, 2-1-1-2 rest day

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
Morning A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D A A A A B B B B C C
Afternoon C C D D D D A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D A A A A
Night B B B C C C C D D D D A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D
Resting D D C B A A D C B B A D C C B A D D C B A A D C B B A D C C B A D D C B A A D C B B
Questions

1 Impact on take home salary (workers)

2 Increase in headcount and manpower cost (companies)

Are there significant advantages in employing shorter work week (ie. 5 days work) and shorter work hours
3
(ie. 60 hours)?
Thank you