Pay rise of 6% to 8% recommend for lower-wage workers in Singapore
Lower-wage workers earning up to S$2,800 a month should receive a 6% to 8% increase or at least S$120, with the guidelines also calling on employers to invest in AI-related skills.
CHRO Singapore 2026: Time saved, skills at risk, trust on the line
From productivity gains to disappearing entry-level work and the gap between what leaders and employees sees, the conversation at CHRO Series Singapore 2026 kept returning to what AI changes for people.
Malaysia’s Budget 2027 lifts minimum wage to RM2,000, sets RM2,500 floor for graduates
Budget 2027 also raises the pay floor for semi-skilled workers and graduates, introduces new tax rules on wage payments, and allocates RM8 billion to vocational and technical training.
Mental health at work: When well-meaning caution narrows a career
Employers have expanded mental wellness provisions considerably. Andrea Chan of TOUCH Community Services explains why the harder test comes after an employee speaks up.
Taiwan’s minimum wage to cross NT$30,000 as AI boom lifts growth
Labour and employer representatives agreed on a 4.745% increase after differing on how the gains of AI-led growth should be shared.
Own data, not benchmarks: What holds up in a board conversation on wellbeing
Employers overwhelmingly say workplace wellbeing matters. AIA Singapore’s Kenneth Tan tells HRM Asia why that agreement rarely survives contact with a board, and what evidence does.
Singapore to share enhanced childcare leave details in early 2027
The government is studying ways to help employers cover employees on leave and is considering an accreditation mark for work-life-friendly workplaces, as Minister Indranee Rajah says caregiving leave should become part of normal HR policy.
Where do senior cyber professionals come from when the junior jobs disappear?
AI is absorbing the junior work that senior cybersecurity professionals once learned on. Fortinet’s Jess Ng on what that means for the talent pipeline and for retention.
More employers in Singapore set to hold wages flat in 2027
Business prospects look steadier for 2027, but rising manpower costs are keeping employers cautious on pay – and the improvement is not reaching every sector.
Three days, two workshops, one question: Who runs the next phase of Vietnam’s growth
CHRO Series Vietnam runs 9-11 September at Rex Hotel Saigon, with sessions on blue-collar retention, executive localisation, skills-first hiring and the green talent shortage – plus a data protection law that has been live since January.
Employer groups warn RM3,100 minimum wage could put MSMEs under pressure
The call for a RM3,100 minimum wage has met resistance from employer groups, who warn the move could prove unsustainable for many MSMEs.
Singapore ties childcare leave to the number of children
Childcare Leave and Extended Childcare Leave will be merged into a single scheme scaled to the number of children, with employers reimbursed for the full duration of all child-related leave up to the existing cap.
Malaysia reviews RM1,700 minimum wage as cost-of-living mount
Malaysia’s review of the RM1,700 minimum wage comes amid calls for wage policy to better reflect the rising cost of living and ensure employees can maintain a decent standard of living.
Ten years of poor health, and the workplace in the middle of it
Between a health span ending at 70 and a life expectancy of 80 sits a decade in poor health. At the inaugural AIA Healthcare Summit, the argument was that employers hold more of that decade than they think, and that fragmentation – not funding – is the constraint.
Malaysia urged to review wage structure beyond minimum pay to support income growth
The National Wages Consultative Council says employees earning just above the minimum wage are being left out of pay rises and that fresh graduates are starting on less than they did two decades ago.
Fathers who take solo parental leave stay more involved at home, study finds
A five-year UK study of dual-career couples found that fathers who took sole responsibility for a baby during parental leave were still sharing childcare – and still shaping their working lives around it – years later.
The growth plan is global. Is the payroll infrastructure?
Backed by a US$50 million investment from Apis Partners, BIPO is scaling its proprietary infrastructure to help organisations expand across borders.
For relocating families, a residence designed around the youngest guests
Family adjustment is one of the quieter determinants of whether an international assignment succeeds. A new limited-time apartment concept at Great World Residences turns its attention to the part of the household that is often hardest to settle: the children.
Fixing the workplace, not just the symptoms: Inside HSBC Singapore’s structural shift to employee wellbeing
Head of People Mukul Anand discusses moving beyond traditional coping mechanisms to embed genuine psychological safety and inclusive design into everyday operations.
Thailand studies broader early retirement scheme to reshape public sector workforce
Thailand is reviewing a voluntary early retirement scheme that could include younger civil servants, combining workforce restructuring with reskilling to modernise the public sector.
Malaysia studies post-maternity leave allowance as maternity leave complaints decline
Malaysia is considering a post-maternity leave allowance after employer compliance improved under the country’s mandatory 98-day maternity leave policy.
Japan records third straight year of 5% wage growth as labour market remains resilient
Competitive pay remains firmly on Japan’s HR agenda, with employees securing wage increases above 5% for a third consecutive year.
Australia expands paid parental leave to six months in boost for working families
Eligible parents in Australia will receive six months of government-funded Paid Parental Leave from July, reinforcing family-friendly workplaces and gender equality.
In South Korea’s most credentialed job market, SK hynix drops the degree
The world’s top maker of AI memory chips says growth and potential – not diplomas – will decide who it hires.
How the search for purpose is rewriting the social contract between employer and employee
Purpose, empathy, and adaptability are emerging as critical drivers of talent attraction, engagement, and retention in an AI-powered future.
Job hopping among young employees signals deeper labour market issues, says PNB Research Institute
Young employees are changing jobs more frequently, but a new report suggests the reasons go beyond generational attitudes.
Singapore tops Asia-Pacific for taking—and actually using—it’s annual leave
If it feels like half your colleagues are out of office at any given moment, the data says you are not imagining it.
Purpose, pay and AI pressures redefine talent expectations in Singapore finance sector
New ACCA findings reveal finance professionals in Singapore are balancing AI optimism with rising concerns around wellbeing, purpose, and progression.
Employees in Singapore see stronger real wage gains despite cooling nominal growth
Real wages outpaced the prior year as easing inflation offset slower nominal wage growth, but employers are becoming more cautious about salary adjustments.
Employees in Singapore feel resigned over pay despite believing salaries are fair, report finds
Employees in Singapore are reassessing salary satisfaction beyond pay alone, placing greater emphasis on growth, recognition, and transparency.