Malaysian employees make complaints about WFH neglect

The government’s guidelines stipulate that only 60% of employees in selected sectors can report to the office.
Driving change in leadership, culture and employee experience

Taking place from September 21-23, HR Tech Festival Asia Online 2021 will help define HR’s roadmap for 2022.
South Korea to cover more workers under its state employment insurance

From July, more employees, including those hired under special contracts, will be covered under the state employment insurance scheme.
Malaysia unveils additional stimulus of RM$150 billion

Some RM$500 million would be allocated to the unemployed, benefiting around 1 million recipients who will each receive RM$500.
Japan avoids workplace vaccination being concentrated in big cities

The government is preventing vaccination programme at workplaces from being concentrated in major cities.
Unions urge New South Wales government to introduce vaccination leave

They also called on the Australian government to provide such leave to casual and contract workers.
Many Australians made jobless at the start of pandemic were under 25

Out of the 592,000 Australians who lost their employment in April 2020, 38% were aged between 15 and 24.
Two in three SMEs in Malaysia pessimistic on recovery for 2021

A survey revealed that only 16% of SMEs expect their businesses to recover only in 2023, citing movement restrictions as dampening business demand.
Skills framework launched in the Philippines

The Philippine Skills Framework (PSF) has been launched to link the government, industry and the academia to upskill workers.
Governments urged to build comprehensive WFH policies

Earlier in June, India issued an advisory to encourage WFH for all nursing mothers for at least a year, in jobs where remote work is possible.
HRM Asia Readers’ Choice Awards 2021: Nominations filling fast!

Time is ticking to send in your nominations for the coveted HRM Asia Readers’ Choice Awards. So hurry before the nominations close!
Australian companies struggle to find suitable employees

According to a survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 27% of businesses have difficulty in finding suitable staff.
India seeks to reduce gender gap in the workplace

India has fallen 28 places to rank 140th among 156 countries in gender gap parity, according to a World Economic Forum report.
Taiwan to approve 1 million pandemic relief loans

More than double the expected 500,000 people had applied for COVID-19 relief loans from the Ministry of Labour (MOL).
Singapore extends deadlines for loan repayments

With continued economic recovery, the central bank intends to move away from industry-wide credit reliefs to more targeted support measures.
Malaysia provides assistance to workers and employers

The Ministry of Human Resources has urged workers and employers affected by the pandemic to apply for benefits under the Employment Insurance System.
Employment a key national priority for Reserve Bank of Australia

The Australian central bank is committed to maintaining a monetary policy that will support the country’s employment and inflation goals.
New Zealand retail workers’ pay rises 6.1%

Amid a shortage of experienced retail staff, employers have been forced to increase wages to retain and attract talent.
Most Japan companies plan to conduct workplace COVID-19 vaccinations

To speed up the vaccination rate in the country, a nationwide plan allows companies and universities to run their own vaccination drives.
Philippine employer groups to create 1 million new jobs

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) is leading several business groups in pledging to create at least 1 million new jobs.
Cambodian government doles out subsidy to workers

These are workers who were not able to work due the lockdown, and each will receive about US$40 as part of the social assistance programme.
Australia’s NSW state to launch paid miscarriage leave

All New South Wales (NSW) public-sector workers will be entitled to five days of paid leave if they suffer a miscarriage of a child.
Malaysia remains committed to ensuring business continuity

The government still has a balance of RM$6 billion for its wage subsidy programme, which can guarantee wage payments for 2.7 million workers.
Singapore employers to get S$2.2 billion in wage subsidies

Under the Jobs Support Scheme, more than 140,000 employers will receive wage subsidies totaling S$2.2 billion (US$1.6 billion) from June 30.
South Korea undecided on minimum wage rate

The Minimum Wage Commission reported that the current minimum hourly wage rate of 8,720 won (US$7.69) is not sufficient to cover the cost of living.
Japan engages companies to boost vaccination drive

Vaccination in the country is getting a shot in the arm as thousands of companies start inoculating their employees.
Malaysia turns to e-payrolls to streamline business operations

The digital system will be able to automate and combine various payroll, compensation and deduction functions into one simple application.
HR Tech Festival Asia Online 2021: Defining HR’s roadmap for 2022

Taking place from September 21-23, Asia’s largest HR Tech event of 2021 will highlight the key drivers of leadership, culture and employee experience in 2022.
Japan promotes 4-day work-week option

The government is supporting the proposal to let employees choose a four-day work week in its annual economic policy guideline.
Malaysian employers group calls for coordinated COVID-19 enforcement

Enforcement authorities create more confusion, instead of allowing employers to focus on carrying out their duties, said the MEF president.