A factory employee collapsed at work and later died, the day after her manager allegedly refused to allow her another day's sick leave unless she first submitted a new medical certificate.
The worker, a 30-year-old woman from Sukhothai province identified only as May, was an employee at an electronics plant in Bang Pu Industrial Estate in Muang district of Samut Prakan province.
A Facebook page carried screenshots of her colleagues' group chat, with a message announcing her death after she was not allowed another sick-day off. The post generated widespread negative comment about the company throughout social media.
According to a friend of the dead woman, May had first taken leave with a medical certificate from Sept 5 to 9, after she was diagnosed with an inflamed large intestine. She spent four days in hospital.
After she left the hospital, May told her friend that her condition had not improved. She subsequently decided to take two more days off.
On the evening of Sept 12, May asked the manager for sick leave on Sept 13, saying her condition had deteriorated even further. The manager said she had to come in to work and submit another medical certificate first, since she had already taken many sick days off.
According to her friends, May had no history of taking sick leave before her recent illness.
Fearing she might lose her job, May went to work on Sept 13 despite still feeling very ill. She collapsed to the ground after working for just 20 minutes, her friend said.
May was rushed to a hospital and sent immediately for emergency surgery. She was pronounced dead from necrotising enterocolitis on the evening of the following day, last Saturday.
On Monday, her employer, Delta Electronics Thailand, announced her death on its Facebook page, and offered condolences.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to her family and loved ones during this difficult time," the announcement said.
"At this moment, we are still in the process of establishing the facts surrounding her passing and have initiated a thorough investigation. Our goal is to create a better understanding of the situation while ensuring we provide the necessary support to her family.
"We remain fully committed to doing everything we can to help during this challenging period.
"We will share updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this sensitive time,” it concluded.