Our Asia Pacific Employment & Compensation team is pleased to share our quarterly update, which highlights key employment law changes across the Asia Pacific region in the first quarter of 2023.
In a recent Baker McKenzie global survey, 87% of senior lawyers expressed concern about facing an internal investigation in 2023 – a 22% increase from last year. At the same time, data privacy concerns, new regulations – including the EU Whistleblowing Directive – and a rising focus on ESG considerations are further compounding the challenges for organizations in this space. Explore the drivers for whistleblowing and investigations activity, key regional trends and steps to overcome common compliance pitfalls.
Baker McKenzie’s Asia Pacific Employers’ Forum took place in Singapore on Thursday, 27 April 2023. You can access a number of related resources relating to employment issues and trends.
Join us for a four-part webinar series as our US moderators welcome colleagues from around the globe to share the latest labor and employment law updates and trends. US-based multinational employers with business operations in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Americas regions will hear directly from local practitioners on the major developments they need to know, and come away with practical tips and takeaways to implement.
To help you stay informed about employment law developments in Asia Pacific, Baker McKenzie has launched its latest podcast series, Need to Know: The Asia Pacific Employment Law Podcast. In this series, we will be discussing recent legislative changes, notable cases and other employment law hot topics. In our first episode, partner Trishelea Sandosam (Kuala Lumpur) and legal assistant Han Yang Quek (Kuala Lumpur) explain the key changes to Malaysia’s Employment Act that came into effect on 1 January 2023, and what employers should be doing in response to these changes.
Our Asia Pacific Employment & Compensation team is pleased to share our quarterly update, which highlights key employment law changes across the Asia Pacific region in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness has released its interim report on 13 February 2023 with its 20 recommendations for the proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation.
In 2021, the Singapore government announced that it will be taking steps to enshrine the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) in law. The TGFEP, which is non-legally binding, sets out principles of workplace fairness and best practices for employers. While the TGFEP has improved standards of workplace fairness in Singapore, it does not have legal force. Enshrining the TGFEP in law is a significant step towards strengthening Singapore’s stand against workplace discrimination.
Due to workplace safety and health concerns arising from the lack of improvement in rates of workplace fatalities and a rise in major injuries in certain sectors, the Ministry of Manpower has announced the following:
• A three-month extension to the Heightened Safety Period (HSP) to 31 May 2023. The HSP, which applies across all industries, was due to end on 28 February 2023
• Additional measures adopting the Recommendations by International Advisory Panel to Strengthen Workplace Safety & Health on 19 January 2023
Following the concerns raised by some politicians that the repeal of section 377A of the Penal Code (which criminalizes consensual homosexual acts in private between male adults) may result in employees being pressured to attend their employers’ inclusion and diversity events, the Ministry of Manpower and its tripartite partners the Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress have added new guidelines to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.
ESG disputes pose one of the top risks to organizations in the coming year, particularly the increasing concern of governance disputes. Join Baker McKenzie’s global team on 31 January 2023 as they discuss key risks to your organization as well as how to manage these and adapt to changing demands.