About the Deferred Employment Act, Mask Requirements, and Going Back to the Office: HR News Roundup for August 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Malaysia Defers Implementation of Amended Employment Act 1955 to 1 January
- Malaysia Draws RM7.2 Billion in Digital Investments in First Half of 2022
- Singapore Drops Most Mask Requirements
- Singapore to Encourage Hiring of People With Disabilities
- Apple Sets 5 September Deadline for Return-To-Office
- Malaysian Employers Opt For Full-Time Employees Over Freelancers
The big news this month is the last-minute postponement of Malaysia’s newly amended Employment Act. It’s far from the only newsworthy story in the region though: here’s our HR news roundup from Southeast Asia and beyond for August 2022.
Image credit: Hisashi Iwato/Nikkei
Malaysia Defers Implementation of Amended Employment Act 1955 to 1 January
Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources has deferred implementation of the amended Employment Act 1955 from 1 September 2022 to 1 January 2023.
This comes as industry players urge the government to postpone implementation until the economy recovers from the effects of the pandemic. Businesses are also suffering from a shortage of workers.
Minister of Human Resources, Datuk M Saravanan said that amendments will be enforced “by hook or by crook” on 1 January, giving industries time to overcome their labour issues.
Highlights of the amended Employment Act include an increase of maternity leave from 60 to 98 days, the reduction of the weekly workweek from 48 to 45 hours, and seven-day paternity leave.
Saravanan said that the amended Act will also apply to foreign workers as Malaysia seeks to come out of Tier 3 of the US State Department’s annual human trafficking report and avoid forced labour.
Image credit: New Straits Times
Malaysia Draws RM7.2 Billion in Digital Investments in First Half of 2022, Expected to Create 10,000 Jobs
The communications and multimedia sector has attracted more than RM7.2 billion in investments in the first half of 2022, according to the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia through Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, said the investments comprised foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic direct investment (DDI). It is projected to create close to 10,000 job opportunities.
The foreign investments came from 53 rapidly expanding and renowned companies in the industry from various countries including Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Image credit: Norbert Braun/Unsplash
Singapore Drops Most Mask Requirements
Singapore has substantially loosened its mask mandate as vaccinations blunt the effect of COVID-19 in the city-state.
From 29 August, masks will not be required in most indoor settings, except on public transport and in healthcare facilities.
Nevertheless, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Singapore will prepare itself for a “northern hemisphere winter wave” at the end of the year, with a possible new variant on the horizon.
Image credit: AbsolutVision/Unsplash
Singapore to Encourage Hiring of People With Disabilities
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has urged companies to be more inclusive in their hiring and ensure more people with disabilities are hired.
Wong cited Vital, an agency at the Ministry of Finance, as an example of how the public sector has worked to improve the lives of persons with disabilities. The agency hired those with autism after realising certain aspects of the job played to their strengths.
Wong also set a target of having 40% of people with disabilities employed by 2030, up from 30% currently. He said that while the Government will support all it can, it is up to businesses to see that it is in their interest to engage in disability-inclusive hiring.
Image credit: Apple
Apple Sets 5 September Deadline for Return-To-Office
Apple has set a deadline of 5 September for its corporate employees to return to the office for at least three days a week.
The iPhone maker will require employees to work from the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while a third day will be determined by individual teams.
Apple has been working towards a return to the office since June 2021, but COVID-19 has constantly pushed back the schedule. With the pandemic finally waning, the new office policy will first take effect at its Cupertino campus before spreading to other sites.
Image credit: Headway/Unsplash
Malaysian Employers Opt For Full-Time Employees Over Freelancers
A BrioHR survey shows that Malaysian employers are placing more emphasis on skills and are opting for full-time employees over freelance or gig workers.
Despite a significant talent shortage in IT, marketing, and sales, 54.3% of survey respondents are hesitant to hire freelancers or ‘gig workers’ and would still opt for full-time employees. This could be due to a variety of factors, including company confidentiality, as these employees frequently work for multiple companies at the same time, often in the same industry.
Learn how BrioHR can simplify HR for your business by getting a free demo here.
The big news this month is the last-minute postponement of Malaysia’s newly amended Employment Act. It’s far from the only newsworthy story in the region though: here’s our HR news roundup from Southeast Asia and beyond for August 2022.
Malaysia Defers Implementation of Amended Employment Act 1955 to 1 January
Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources has deferred implementation of the amended Employment Act 1955 from 1 September 2022 to 1 January 2023.
This comes as industry players urge the government to postpone implementation until the economy recovers from the effects of the pandemic. Businesses are also suffering from a shortage of workers.
Minister of Human Resources, Datuk M Saravanan said that amendments will be enforced “by hook or by crook” on 1 January, giving industries time to overcome their labour issues.
Highlights of the amended Employment Act include an increase of maternity leave from 60 to 98 days, the reduction of the weekly workweek from 48 to 45 hours, and seven-day paternity leave.
Saravanan said that the amended Act will also apply to foreign workers as Malaysia seeks to come out of Tier 3 of the US State Department’s annual human trafficking report and avoid forced labour.
Malaysia Draws RM7.2 Billion in Digital Investments in First Half of 2022, Expected to Create 10,000 Jobs
The communications and multimedia sector has attracted more than RM7.2 billion in investments in the first half of 2022, according to the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia through Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, said the investments comprised foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic direct investment (DDI). It is projected to create close to 10,000 job opportunities.
The foreign investments came from 53 rapidly expanding and renowned companies in the industry from various countries including Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Singapore Drops Most Mask Requirements
Singapore has substantially loosened its mask mandate as vaccinations blunt the effect of COVID-19 in the city-state.
From 29 August, masks will not be required in most indoor settings, except on public transport and in healthcare facilities.
Nevertheless, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Singapore will prepare itself for a “northern hemisphere winter wave” at the end of the year, with a possible new variant on the horizon.
Singapore to Encourage Hiring of People With Disabilities
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has urged companies to be more inclusive in their hiring and ensure more people with disabilities are hired.
Wong cited Vital, an agency at the Ministry of Finance, as an example of how the public sector has worked to improve the lives of persons with disabilities. The agency hired those with autism after realising certain aspects of the job played to their strengths.
Wong also set a target of having 40% of people with disabilities employed by 2030, up from 30% currently. He said that while the Government will support all it can, it is up to businesses to see that it is in their interest to engage in disability-inclusive hiring.
Apple Sets 5 September Deadline for Return-To-Office
Apple has set a deadline of 5 September for its corporate employees to return to the office for at least three days a week.
The iPhone maker will require employees to work from the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while a third day will be determined by individual teams.
Apple has been working towards a return to the office since June 2021, but COVID-19 has constantly pushed back the schedule. With the pandemic finally waning, the new office policy will first take effect at its Cupertino campus before spreading to other sites.
Malaysian Employers Opt For Full-Time Employees Over Freelancers
A BrioHR survey shows that Malaysian employers are placing more emphasis on skills and are opting for full-time employees over freelance or gig workers.
Despite a significant talent shortage in IT, marketing, and sales, 54.3% of survey respondents are hesitant to hire freelancers or ‘gig workers’ and would still opt for full-time employees. This could be due to a variety of factors, including company confidentiality, as these employees frequently work for multiple companies at the same time, often in the same industry.
Learn how BrioHR can simplify HR for your business by getting a free demo here.
