Kesejahteraan Sosial

01 FAMILY SUPPORT EMPOWERMENT AND WORKPLACE WELL-BEING 13 practises lead to uncertainty and anxiety among employees and discourage them from fully utilising available leave entitlements. As noted by Allen et al. (2021), reliance on discretionary leave mechanisms undermines policy effectiveness as access to them tends to be inconsistent and lacks transparency. Reducing reliance on informal arrangements through the introduction of formalised carers’ leave would improve both equity and predictability of leave access, thereby strengthening institutional support for working parents. 4.3.2.2 Reduce Inequalities in Access to Flexible Working Across Job Roles Access to staggered working hours or flexible working arrangements is generally more feasible for administrative employees, while such options remain limited for frontliners, law enforcement officers and early childhood educators. As Kossek et al (2011) emphasise, unequal access to family-friendly policies in the workplace contributes to increased work stress and reinforces existing inequalities in the workplace. The Malaysian study by Ahmad et al. (2016) also recommends that the government improve flexible working policies in the public sector by incorporating both flexible time and location options and supportive strategies that enable employees to effectively manage their non-work responsibilities. To ensure equal access to all employment categories, current policies should be reviewed and adapted to include task reorganisation and improved scheduling systems that make flexibility practicable across roles. 4.3.3 Raise 4.3.3.1 Raise the Minimum Maternity Leave Duration To 180 Days The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life. The current maternity leave policy for Malaysian civil servants, limited to a maximum of 90 days per birth, falls short of this international standard and covers only half of the recommended duration. Empirical evidence from Rollins et al. (2016) and The Lancet (2023) demonstrates that inadequate maternity leave is a significant barrier to sustained breastfeeding, compromising both the child’s nutrition and the mother’s health. Extending the duration