A workplace policy allegedly requiring employees to give three days’ notice before taking medical leave (MC) has gone viral after one employee’s sarcastic response reportedly prompted the company to withdraw the directive within an hour.
The incident came to light after a Malaysian woman shared the story on Threads, where it quickly gained attention and sparked debate over whether such a policy is practical or even realistic.
According to the woman, the Human Resources (HR) department at her husband’s workplace circulated a notice in the company’s main group chat stating that employees would have to inform the company three days in advance if they intended to take medical leave.
Her husband reportedly spotted the obvious flaw in the directive and responded in the group chat with a sarcastic message.
“If that’s the case, I’m planning to take MC this Friday. Reason for illness: I don’t know yet. But I’ll be taking MC anyway,” he allegedly wrote.
The woman claimed the response quickly highlighted the impracticality of the new rule. She said the company withdrew the circular less than an hour later, joking that unreasonable policies are often destined to become the subject of ridicule.
The post generated hundreds of reactions online, with one commenter claiming the HR department had allegedly introduced the directive without first consulting the company’s management. According to the user, even the company’s general manager was reportedly surprised by the announcement.
The discussion also prompted many Malaysians to share similar workplace experiences, with some claiming they had been pressured by employers despite being genuinely ill.
One user recalled that her husband’s supervisor contacted her while he was hospitalised after suffering an eye injury in a motorcycle accident, asking whether the doctor had indicated when he would be discharged because the company was struggling to arrange work schedules.
Others pointed out that although sudden illnesses cannot be predicted, there are legitimate situations where employees can provide advance notice, such as scheduled medical appointments, blood tests, chemotherapy sessions, surgery, follow-up treatments and other planned medical procedures.
While many agreed employers should be informed as early as possible for planned medical appointments, most felt that expecting employees to predict an unexpected illness several days in advance is simply unrealistic.
