About Minimum Wage Breaches, Sick Workers, and Hiring Freezes: HR News Roundup for July 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 118 Malaysian Companies Found to Breach New Minimum Wage Laws
- Hybrid Work Reduces Attrition Rate, Study Shows
- Southeast Asian Workers Reluctant to Take Sick Leave
- Microsoft, Google, Other Tech Giants Freeze Hiring
- Australians Urged to Work From Home as COVID-19 Cases Increase
- SMEs Optimistic About Hiring Prospects
A mixed bag of news from the region, but it does show a silver lining as we may (or may not) face a new phase of the pandemic.
Here’s BrioHR's HR news roundup from Southeast Asia and beyond for July 2022.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan. Image credit: Bernama
118 Malaysian Companies Found to Breach New Minimum Wage Laws
Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources has found 118 employers in breach of the Minimum Wages Order 2022 since it came into effect on May 1 this year. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said that they have received 157 complaints regarding the minimum wage, and investigations showed that 118 employers did not adhere to the Order. No charges have been made, but the ministry has issued advice to the employers to follow the Minimum Wages Order 2022. If they still do not do so, legal action will be taken.
Image credit: Roberto Nickson/Unsplash
Hybrid Work Reduces Attrition Rate, Study Shows
A study conducted by Stanford University researchers shows that hybrid work reduced attrition rates among engineers, marketing and finance employees at a tech firm by 35%. The research also showed that hybrid work had no impact on performance reviews or promotions. Those that opted to work from home also reported higher productivity.
Image credit: Beth Macdonald/Unsplash
Southeast Asian Workers Reluctant to Take Sick Leave
More than half of employees across Southeast Asia are reluctant to take sick leave despite feeling unwell. A study from Milieu Insight shows that 71% of employees choose not to take sick leave despite feeling physically unwell. Nearly half of employees (48%) who did take sick leave also admit returning to work when feeling “mostly recovered, but still a little unwell.”
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Microsoft, Google, Other Tech Giants Freeze Hiring
Microsoft and Google join other tech giants, including Apple and Amazon in slowing down hiring amidst recession fears. Tech companies, long known for their hiring sprees, are instituting hiring freezes, rescinding offers and even beginning to layoff staff. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company said that it will be slowing the pace of hiring for the rest of the year and prioritizing engineering and technical talent.
Image credit: Annie Spratt/Unsplash
Australians Urged to Work From Home as COVID-19 Cases Increase
Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has urged employers to allow employees to work from home as the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants result in record hospitalizations. Australians have been asked to wear masks again, but no stringent restrictions have been reintroduced.
Image credit: Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash
SMEs Optimistic About Hiring Prospects
Malaysian SMEs report a 6% increase in recruitment during the second quarter of 2022, compared to a 5% in 1Q22. This is according to the SME Employment Index released by BrioHR which shows aggressive hiring on the back of positive momentum of business and economic growth. However, salary levels remained constant with a slight increase of 1.3% in 2Q22 but respondents are hopeful that it will increase in the coming quarters.
Learn how BrioHR can simplify HR for your business by getting a free demo here.
A mixed bag of news from the region, but it does show a silver lining as we may (or may not) face a new phase of the pandemic.
Here’s BrioHR’s HR news roundup from Southeast Asia and beyond for July 2022.
118 Malaysian Companies Found to Breach New Minimum Wage Laws
Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources has found 118 employers in breach of the Minimum Wages Order 2022 since it came into effect on May 1 this year. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said that they have received 157 complaints regarding the minimum wage, and investigations showed that 118 employers did not adhere to the Order. No charges have been made, but the ministry has issued advice to the employers to follow the Minimum Wages Order 2022. If they still do not do so, legal action will be taken.
Hybrid Work Reduces Attrition Rate, Study Shows
A study conducted by Stanford University researchers shows that hybrid work reduced attrition rates among engineers, marketing and finance employees at a tech firm by 35%. The research also showed that hybrid work had no impact on performance reviews or promotions. Those that opted to work from home also reported higher productivity.
Southeast Asian Workers Reluctant to Take Sick Leave
More than half of employees across Southeast Asia are reluctant to take sick leave despite feeling unwell. A study from Milieu Insight shows that 71% of employees choose not to take sick leave despite feeling physically unwell. Nearly half of employees (48%) who did take sick leave also admit returning to work when feeling “mostly recovered, but still a little unwell.”
Microsoft, Google, Other Tech Giants Freeze Hiring
Microsoft and Google join other tech giants, including Apple and Amazon in slowing down hiring amidst recession fears. Tech companies, long known for their hiring sprees, are instituting hiring freezes, rescinding offers and even beginning to layoff staff. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company said that it will be slowing the pace of hiring for the rest of the year and prioritizing engineering and technical talent.
Australians Urged to Work From Home as COVID-19 Cases Increase
Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has urged employers to allow employees to work from home as the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants result in record hospitalizations. Australians have been asked to wear masks again, but no stringent restrictions have been reintroduced.
SMEs Optimistic About Hiring Prospects
Malaysian SMEs report a 6% increase in recruitment during the second quarter of 2022, compared to a 5% in 1Q22. This is according to the SME Employment Index released by BrioHR which shows aggressive hiring on the back of positive momentum of business and economic growth. However, salary levels remained constant with a slight increase of 1.3% in 2Q22 but respondents are hopeful that it will increase in the coming quarters.
Learn how BrioHR can simplify HR for your business by getting a free demo here.
