The proposed concession for parents to take their sick leave to attend to their children when they were unwell served to institutionalise an injustice against employers, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry said.

In a statement this morning, the Chamber said it strongly opposed the proposed concession saying such work practices would serve to erode further Malta’s competitiveness and potential for growth.

"The Chamber regards sick leave as a concession and not a right. It comes at a cost to the employer and it should not be exploited or trivialised. It is available for employees to avail of when they are genuinely unfit to attend for work. Ample annual leave is available and should be used in order to attend to family responsibilities.

"Whilst employers endeavour to be flexible and compassionate with their staff, this measure will pose additional burdens not only for them but also for other employees.

"The measure could bring about a perverse effect in that it may encourage workers to report to work when they are sick in an effort to save their sick-leave entitlement for when their children are unwell. Again, this would be unfair to the employer and fellow workers," it said.

The Chamber said that the cost of this measure would further erode the competitiveness of both SMEs and larger companies and would continue to exacerbate economic problems.

Companies with a small number of employees would feel the effect disproportionately. The proposal could also serve as a dangerous precedent as attempts could then follow to extend the scope of the measure.

It said that in the past years it was actively involved in discussions on family friendly measures, which it favoured, and presented its proposals to a specially appointed MCESD working group.

It emphasised that the national policy had to place particular emphasis on measures that discouraged absenteeism and promoted people at the place of work.