The government is encouraging smaller companies to raise staff salaries with tax deductions of up to 40%, and 30% for bigger companies.
The government would continue to provide tax preferences and subsidies to industries that were impacted severely by the pandemic.
The government wants greater premium payments from employers and employees as the employment insurance system is running low on funds.
The government is planning to make social security benefits available to insurance agents, journalists, carpenters, masons, labourers and domestic workers.
In wage negotiations held earlier this year, businesses had agreed to an average 1.78% wage hike, in response to expectations of a 4% pay hike.
These include some 1.85 million workers who had their labour contracts temporarily suspended or were told to take unpaid leave.
SMEs struggle to create appropriate career development opportunities for their workers, making it hard for them to attract and retain talent.
The majority of employers are still waiting for January 2022 to start hiring new staff and utilise incentives awarded to them.
The number of irregular workers has increased from 8.5 million to 9.04 million in August, rising 6.35% year-on-year.
Although flexible working schedules have been implemented since the pandemic outbreak last year, there are no laws governing the matter.
The government is granting financial support to help companies transition to the new traffic light system for managing COVID-19.
Displaced or disadvantaged workers receive an average of 10 to 90 days of work compensation based on the minimum wage.
The government approved an economic stimulus package last week, which includes cash handouts and vouchers to lower-income households.
Several regions in China have extended maternity leave by at least 30 days, in the latest effort to address record-low birth rates in the country.
The support provided through a public programme totalled RM7.172 billion, and has exceeded the initial target of supporting 188,345 entrepreneurs.
The government is considering granting a tax break for companies which raise salaries of all employees, including new and non-regular workers.
The cabinet has given the go-ahead for a soft-loan package worth 5 billion baht (US$150 million) to help create jobs for the unemployed.
The Manpower Ministry is optimistic of closing the wage gap between male and female workers, and to increase the level of female participation at work.
Small businesses will be compensated for their incurred losses because of COVID-19 restrictions, although some businesses are exempted from this.
Over VND5,422 billion (US$238 million) has been spent to support employers and employees in the city impacted by the pandemic.
A Japanese labour ministry survey has found that the prolonged pandemic is still dampening wage hikes for workers in affected sectors.
Some 29.2% of foreign investment companies with over 300 employees felt most uneasy about the introduction of the workplace disaster law.
The National Wage Consultative Council (MPGN) is still discussing whether to maintain or increase the minimum wage rate.
The proportion of non-regular workers in the country has also been increasing, rising by 5.5 percentage points from 2017 to 2021.
Wage support to businesses in sectors hit hard by the pandemic, such as F&B, retail, and tourism, will be lowered from 25% to 10%.
The government has distributed RM19.21 billion (US$4.6 billion) under its Wages Subsidy Programme (PSU) as of October 29.
The package has been reported to include cash support for small companies, as well as pay raises for nurses and care workers.
The move is expected to benefit 820,000 military personnel, public school teachers and civil servants, and 200,000 contract workers.
The government has been urged to strictly monitor the minimum wage implementation and take ‘firm action’ against violators.
From 2022, the bulk of the cost of public insurance costs for the self-employed and gig workers will be paid by the state.
