Legal eagle swoops in after Khao Yai hotel sparks outrage by allegedly firing employee mourning her dying mother

A Thai lawyer has stepped in to solve the controversial case of a young Thai woman from Buriram Province who was allegedly sacked at a high-end hotel in Khao Yai after requesting leave to care for her dying mother. The Thai lawyer, Lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch, head of the Social Justice Settlement Network, yesterday discussed the incident and provided legal insights.

According to details shared by the woman on social media, she initially requested leave through a message sent via the LINE application to the hotel’s Human Resources department to escort her sick mother for medical treatment. The leave was granted.

The next day, she sent another message informing them that her mother’s condition had deteriorated drastically and requested another day-off. The hotel HR allegedly rejected her request. Later on, when she informed them about her mother’s death and her need to return home, she was unceremoniously asked to resign from her duties, reported KhaoSod.

Ronnarong, expressing his viewpoints on the matter, noted that while society might empathise with the employee’s situation, the employer might also be dealing with workers who frequently request leave, impacting business operations.

According to the Labour Protection Act, an employer is obligated to grant no fewer than three days of leave for personal matters each year. A potential cause for misinterpretation is that leave approval does not mean immediate cessation of duties but requires the employer’s consent. Also, if employee absences for three consecutive days without notifying the employer, the employer can dismiss them.

However, in this case, as the woman took only one day off to take her mother to the doctor and her mother passed away the next day, the forced resignation could be seen as coerced.

On the flip side, from an employer’s perspective, if they have employees who frequently request leaves, their business might face specific difficulties. But if a high-end establishment like this hotel truly conducts its human resource management in such a manner, clientele, including himself, might not opt to avail of its services, Ronnarong stated.

He urged the hotel to explain the incident, thereby enabling the public to understand the employer’s side of the story and whether the young woman’s actions were justified. Consequently, this case has stirred the public’s sentiments, with many expressing their shock and disappointment on social media platforms.

The Thaiger called the hotel in question but they refused to give a comment.