Extending sick leave: Employers urged not to 'think insular’

Employers must not be "insular" and giving parents sick leave when their children fall ill is "not a concession", Family Minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said.

Controversy has raged over whether parents or caregivers should be granted sick leave when their children fall ill, a proposal which enjoys the support of both Labour and PN, and was first floated by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi during the 2013 electoral campaign.

It soon emerged during the campaign days that the PL had included the same proposal in its electoral manifesto.

But the proposed measure did not go down well with employers, who argued that it encouraged absenteeism.

After the Malta Employers Association, the Chamber of Commerce was the second employers union to strongly oppose "the proposed concession".

"This proposal serves to institutionalise an injustice against employers. The introduction of such work practices will serve to erode further Malta's competitiveness and potential for growth," the Chamber has argued.

Questioned by the press, Minister Coleiro Preca however refuted the description of a "concession", insisting it was "a reality" if one truly believed in family-friendly measures.

"We would be taking a step backwards if we are not going to develop more measures for parents be productive. We have to help able persons who can work to join the workforce," Coleiro Preca said.

"I urge the employers not to think insular but to look at the whole economic sector. We have to fit in the social aspects in the bigger picture."

Asked whether the government would be ready to help employers when workers apply for sick leave to take care of their children, the minister said the government was open to proposals.

"We are always open to proposals and ideas and we urge everyone with proposals to come forward."