Hong Kong government rolls out HK$9.5 billion relief package
About 180,000 Hongkongers who were unemployed for at least two months since the start of last year will also be eligible to apply for low-interest loans.
New Zealand government approves improved Holidays Act
The revised Holidays Act will provide clarity to employers and help employees receive their leave entitlements.
Singapore mulls progressive wage model for retail sector
Senior minister of state for manpower Zaqy Mohamad has said the government is considering a progressive wage model (PWM) for the retail sector.
New Zealand businesses can apply for government support from March 2
Companies must show a 30% fall in revenue over seven days compared with a similar period in the six weeks prior to the heightened alert level.
DOLE proposes wage subsidy for workers in the Philippines
Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is proposing a three-month wage subsidy for workers.
Gig workers in Singapore need help in terms of social security
The labour movement is looking into how gig workers can have greater structural support, which can include greater bargaining power.
Chinese lobby group calls on shared parental leave
Making it compulsory to use at least a third of shared parental leave will force fathers to be more involved in childcare, says the Shanghai Women’s Federation.
Singapore’s aviation sector set to receive increased wage subsidies
This is part of the S$870 million OneAviation Support Package announced in Budget 2021 to support firms hit hard by the pandemic.
Thailand approves 4,000-baht handouts for salaried workers
Under its social security system, the government has approved a scheme that will give salaried workers 4,000 baht (US$134) each.
Australia sees workers on wage subsidies fall
The number of workers who collected wage subsidies decreased by about 2 million over an eight-month period last year.
Hong Kong welfare minister rejects temporary unemployment fund
The minister said that it would be tricky to draw the line for when the scheme should stop, and urged that public policy needs to be fair.
Rethinking compensation for a new work environment
Organisations also need to update their indicators for the new normal, and make data-driven decisions to inform their HR strategy.
Malaysia approved RM12.76 billion in wage subsidies as of end January
The National Employment Council estimates that over 160,000 new jobs will be created this year through committed investments.
Singapore pumps in S$5.4 billion to hire 200,000 locals
The government announced a range of Budget 2021 measures aimed at helping workers and businesses to land jobs and sustain operations amid the pandemic.
Australian MP calls on six months parental leave for fathers
This would encourage fathers to share care of the child, causing less disruption and long-term impact to women’s careers, she says.
India’s new paperless portal for MSME registrations crosses 2-million mark
The government’s paperless portal for MSME registration – Udyam Registration – has processed 2.03 million registrations in the last three months.
Japan’s overtime pay in 2020 sees largest fall in 11 years
The speed of decline was the fastest since 2009, when the global financial crisis led to a drop of overtime wages by 13.5%.
South Korea sees rise in paternity leave in 2020
There were 27,423 private sectors workers who requested paternity leave last year, more than double that of 2017’s total of 12,042.
Employers in New Zealand get US$252 for self-isolating staff
The government has launched the Short-Term Absence Payment (STAP) – a scheme to help businesses and staff affected by the pandemic.
Hong Kong seeks to relax subsidy criteria for low-income workers
The basic subsidy for low-income families, once relaxed, would benefit around 24,000 more underemployed households.
Philippine House speaker submits US$8.7billon COVID-19 relief bill
Lord Allan Velasco has submitted a pandemic-relief bill of 420 billion peso (US$8.7 billion) to Congress to spur the economy into recovery.
Some 300,000 Australians benefit from wage hike
This covers the country’s retail, fast food and warehouse workers, as well as those who work in aviation, arts and recreation, and tourism.
Thailand prepares to launch pandemic relief package
Prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given the go-ahead for financial aid costing 40 billion baht to help employees left out under previous schemes.
Japan’s non-regular workers yet to receive compensation for forced leave
Some 33.4% of non-regular workers received no compensation for forced leave, as compared to 14.8% for regular staff, a survey shows.
South Korea mulls additional relief for self-employed and small businesses
The supplementary budget is reported to be in the scale of 20 trillion won (US$17.9 billion) to 30 trillion won (US$26.8 billion).
Union calls for wage subsidies in the Philippines
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has called on the government to provide immediate subsidies for workers struggling financially.
New Zealand’s union calls for sick leave for new employees
The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) is pushing for the removal of the rule that workers must be employed for six months before getting sick leave.
Malaysia’s wage subsidies total RM20.7 billion in payouts
The third phase of the country’s wage subsidy programme will receive an additional injection of RM500 million.
Thailand rolls out jobs support to tourism workers
The Tourism Council of Thailand wants to implement a dedicated support programme for tourism workers to reskill and upskill by March.
Pandemic dulls outlook for pay hikes at Japan’s annual wage talks
Japan’s Business Federation says companies should have more financial leeway and pay hikes are unrealistic amid the economic uncertainty.