InterContinental attends funeral for hotel employee’s mum after denying leave request

The InterContinental Khao Yai Resort in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district expressed its condolences and empathy towards a former staff member whose mother died. But after they denied her leave – a move that went viral – the hotel management attended the funeral of the employee’s mother. Is it a change of heart, or a desperate bid to look caring that is likely too little too late?

The hotel found itself embroiled in a dispute over compassionate leave due to the severe illness of a 25 year old employee’s mother. The resort’s compassionate response came only after the situation gained attention online, prompting InterContinental to release a public statement.

“Recently, an associate bid farewell to her mother. We wish to extend our deepest condolences and stand alongside her as well as her mourning family.”

However, the resort has come under scrutiny following allegations of unfair treatment by a managerial staff member. In an effort to clarify the situation, the resort assured the employee that her job was secure during the ongoing internal investigation.

The dispute surfaced on August 16, when the affected employee, Kodchakorn Tongbang­prong, shared screenshots of her conversation with the resort’s manager. The conversation revealed her request for a leave of absence from the hotel to attend to her 64 year old mother’s deteriorating health and subsequently arrange the funeral.

To her dismay, and the disgust of many online, the manager’s response suggested that Kodchakorn should consider resigning after her leave was over. This sparked outrage on social media, with users expressing disbelief at such a callous response from a superior.

InterContinental Khao Yai Resort addressed the situation further on its official Facebook page, disclosing that they had suspended a team member and are currently investigating the manager’s actions.

Kodchakorn later informed the media that she had notified her manager well in advance about her mother’s declining health and the potential need for leave. She recounted her attempts to extend her leave by one day to be with her mother, only to be denied due to the manager’s inability to arrange a temporary replacement.

Tragically, her mother passed away on the same day she was denied the extension.

On August 18, the funeral for the hotel employee’s mother took place at Triphumwanaram temple in the Chum Het district, Buriram Province, where mourners paid their final respects. Representatives attended from the Social Security and Labour Protection Department of Buriram Province and delegates from Buriram Hospital.

But, somewhat shockingly, officials from the InterContinental hotel also attended the funeral.

During the service, the hotel management team claimed they were there to show their support. The hotel management offered an undisclosed donation to assist with the funeral expenses, reported to be about 13,000 baht.

They provided words of encouragement to Kodchakorn and her family, though they declined media interviews, stating their visit was solely to offer condolences. The funeral ceremony is expected to conclude on Sunday, August 20.

Local labour protection officer Nisai Sukhara explained that Kodchakorn’s leave request technically did not fall under special leave since the dates coincided with her regular days off. The management had not been aware of the chat conversation between Kodchakorn and her supervisor, Kob, until it went viral.

They later informed Kodchakorn of her rights to exceptional leave for the imminent death of an immediate family member, which includes full salary for the leave duration. However, this information came too late, as Kodchakorn’s mother had already passed away.

The issue regarding supervisor Kob does not warrant termination according to the hotel’s policy, but they plan to conduct a further investigation into the matter once Kodchakorn’s responsibilities towards her mother’s funeral have concluded.