Review of Section 89 of Employment Act to Allow Coverage of Community Hospital Stay

32 Ms K Thanaletchimi asked the Minister for Manpower whether the hospitalisation of an employee under section 89 of the Employment Act covers his stay at community hospitals and, if not, whether the Ministry will consider reviewing this as more patients may be treated in community hospitals.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Under the Employment Act, an eligible employee is provided with paid sick leave of up to 14 days and paid hospitalisation leave of up to 60 days per year. To qualify for hospitalisation leave, the employee must be certified by a Government doctor or a doctor appointed by the employer to be ill enough to be hospitalised in an acute hospital or national centre. An employee who is so certified shall be entitled to the hospitalisation leave, regardless of whether he recuperates in an acute hospital, community hospital or at home.

An employee who is not certified to be ill enough to be hospitalised in an acute hospital or national centre but is nevertheless certified to be unfit for work would still be entitled to paid sick leave.