About A New Prime Minister, Salary Increases, and Gig Worker Protections: HR News Roundup for November 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
It’s been a dramatic month for news, and the HR world is no exception. Here’s BrioHR’s top HR news stories for November 2022.
Image credit: Afif Abd Halim/Zuma Press
Anwar Ibrahim Becomes Malaysia’s Prime Minister
Leader of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as prime minister on 24 November 2022, ending a week of political drama following closely contested polls.
Anwar's coalition campaigned on an anti-corruption message and won the most seats in the election with 82, but falling well short of the 112 needed for a majority. The second-largest coalition, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional bloc won 73 seats.
Both parties claimed they were able to muster a majority in Parliament, with respective leaders Anwar and Muhyiddin vying for the coveted post of Prime Minister. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong had to step in and break the deadlock, announcing Anwar as Prime Minister after consultation with the rest of the Malay Rulers.
Anwar is expected to focus much of his attention on the economy, with HR and labour policy to follow a progressive agenda in line with stimulating economic growth.
Over 90% of Malaysian Employers Gave Salary Increase
A survey conducted by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) indicated that 93% of employers granted salary increases to employees in 2022, which was a significant increase from 65.2% and 66.4% respectively in 2021.
“In terms of forecasted salary increase for 2023, the surveys indicated a 5.44 per cent increase for executives and 5.43 per cent for non-executives,” said MEF President Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman.
“Approximately 90% of the surveyed companies attributed employees’ performance as the main criteria for determining executive and non-executive salary increases,” he explained.
Singaporeans to Receive Cash Payments to Relieve GST Rate Increase
Up to 2.9 million adult Singaporeans will receive Assurance Package Cash and Cost-of-Living (COL) Special Payments in December 2022 according to the Ministry of Finance.
The payments are meant to cushion the impact of the GST rate increase for all Singaporeans. The package comprises cash payouts, Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, additional GST Voucher (GSTV) – U-Save, and MediSave top-ups. These amounts will be disbursed over five years starting from December 2022.
Image credit: Grab
Singaporean Gig Workers to Get Workplace Injury Compensation, CPF From 2024
App-based gig workers such as drivers and delivery workers will be eligible for workplace injury compensation and Central Provident Fund (CPF) payments as early as 2024. These are among the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers, which has been accepted by the Singapore Government as well as platforms like Grab.
Under the new regulations, companies that hire gig workers will have to provide insurance protection for those who get injured during working hours. As for CPF payments, they will be made compulsory only for those below 30 years old. For everyone else, there is a choice to opt in or not.
One in Four Employees Still Fear COVID-19 at Work
The fear of contracting COVID-19 at work has declined since the height of the pandemic, but one in four working adults are concerned about exposure to the sickness at their workplace. A Gallup poll of US employees found that 26% of workers concerned today is down from 33% when Gallup last measured this in July and from 36% a year ago. The rate was highest in July 2020, when 51% of employees were concerned.
64% of employees also expect COVID-19 infections to surge over the fall and winter, which explains the ongoing concern about the risk of exposure at work.
Learn how BrioHR can simplify HR for your business by getting a free demo here.
It’s been a dramatic month for news, and the HR world is no exception. Here’s BrioHR’s top HR news stories for November 2022.
Anwar Ibrahim Becomes Malaysia’s Prime Minister
Leader of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as prime minister on 24 November 2022, ending a week of political drama following closely contested polls.
Anwar’s coalition campaigned on an anti-corruption message and won the most seats in the election with 82, but falling well short of the 112 needed for a majority. The second-largest coalition, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional bloc won 73 seats.
Both parties claimed they were able to muster a majority in Parliament, with respective leaders Anwar and Muhyiddin vying for the coveted post of Prime Minister. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong had to step in and break the deadlock, announcing Anwar as Prime Minister after consultation with the rest of the Malay Rulers.
Anwar is expected to focus much of his attention on the economy, with HR and labour policy to follow a progressive agenda in line with stimulating economic growth.
Over 90% of Malaysian Employers Gave Salary Increase
A survey conducted by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) indicated that 93% of employers granted salary increases to employees in 2022, which was a significant increase from 65.2% and 66.4% respectively in 2021.
“In terms of forecasted salary increase for 2023, the surveys indicated a 5.44 per cent increase for executives and 5.43 per cent for non-executives,” said MEF President Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman.
“Approximately 90% of the surveyed companies attributed employees’ performance as the main criteria for determining executive and non-executive salary increases,” he explained.
Singaporeans to Receive Cash Payments to Relieve GST Rate Increase
Up to 2.9 million adult Singaporeans will receive Assurance Package Cash and Cost-of-Living (COL) Special Payments in December 2022 according to the Ministry of Finance.
The payments are meant to cushion the impact of the GST rate increase for all Singaporeans. The package comprises cash payouts, Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, additional GST Voucher (GSTV) – U-Save, and MediSave top-ups. These amounts will be disbursed over five years starting from December 2022.
Singaporean Gig Workers to Get Workplace Injury Compensation, CPF From 2024
App-based gig workers such as drivers and delivery workers will be eligible for workplace injury compensation and Central Provident Fund (CPF) payments as early as 2024. These are among the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers, which has been accepted by the Singapore Government as well as platforms like Grab.
Under the new regulations, companies that hire gig workers will have to provide insurance protection for those who get injured during working hours. As for CPF payments, they will be made compulsory only for those below 30 years old. For everyone else, there is a choice to opt in or not.
One in Four Employees Still Fear COVID-19 at Work
The fear of contracting COVID-19 at work has declined since the height of the pandemic, but one in four working adults are concerned about exposure to the sickness at their workplace. A Gallup poll of US employees found that 26% of workers concerned today is down from 33% when Gallup last measured this in July and from 36% a year ago. The rate was highest in July 2020, when 51% of employees were concerned.
64% of employees also expect COVID-19 infections to surge over the fall and winter, which explains the ongoing concern about the risk of exposure at work.
Learn how BrioHR can simplify HR for your business by getting a free demo here.
