The Singapore government has released White Paper On Singapore Women’s Development on 28 March 2021, the first whole-of-society review of women’s development. Acting on data collected and analysis of feedback on areas where women still face barriers and challenges, the White Paper sets out 25 collective action plans in five main areas to advance women’s development. Employers should note that the first of these areas concerns providing equal opportunities in the workplace, and will involve: strengthening laws to address unfair and discriminatory employment practices, and developing advisories and guidelines to encourage adoption of flexible work arrangements.

As part of our continued efforts to guide clients through these challenging times, the Asia Pacific Employment & Compensation Group brings you these recorded webinars which provide key and practical insights on employment and compensation trends and major challenges being faced by businesses across the region.

As a sponsor at the 2021 Hong Kong Fintech Week, Baker McKenzie moderated several panel discussions and hosted a couple of virtual masterclasses, including one on the topic “Future of Work: New Workforce Reality.” This session covers interesting developments from an employment perspective, looking closely at key considerations for financial institutions dealing with the changing environment including critical risks in cybersecurity, data privacy and intellectual property confidentiality, occupational health and safety issues, and fraud risks.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, at his recent National Day Rally speech, acknowledged the anxiety felt by middle income Singaporeans over foreign work pass holders, especially with the economic uncertainty heightened by COVID-19.

Addressing what he described as personal and emotional arguments by Singaporeans over perceived foreign competition for jobs and opportunities, the prime minister signaled that the government will introduce new anti-discrimination laws with a range of penalties extending beyond the current administrative penalties, such as restrictions on an employer from hiring foreign workers.

Our Asia Pacific Employment & Compensation Team is pleased to provide you with our second quarterly update for 2021 highlighting key employment law changes across the Asia Pacific region.

We would like to invite you to join our webinar on 28 July 2021 as Baker McKenzie partners across various key jurisdictions provide an overview on the latest developments and trends impacting the AML landscape in Asia. Speakers from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will share updates on cross-border AML issues being faced across the region and their insights on managing this risk through compliance efforts.

When allegations of misconduct are levelled against employees, employers are often left with the task of conducting internal investigations to get to the bottom of the matter. Employment legislation in Singapore does not prescribe specific standards or processes for such investigations. This has given rise to a number of practical questions for both employers and employees. The Singapore High Court in Dong Wei v Shell Eastern Trading (Pte) Ltd and another [2021] SGHC 123 addressed these issues.

In 2016, an influential Agency Manager of Prudential Assurance Company Singapore orchestrated a mass exodus of over 200 agents to a competitor, Aviva Financial Advisors Pte Ltd. Prudential, in turn, sued the Agency Manager for up to S$2.5 billion in damages, in a high-profile case which attracted significant media attention in Singapore.

In a recent action brought before the Singapore High Court, the summary dismissal of Wong Sung Boon by Fuji Xerox Singapore Pte Ltd (“FXS”) was found to be without basis and unlawful, and FXS was ordered to pay damages of SGD 1.4 million. In assessing the quantum of damages, the High Court re-affirmed the minimum obligation rule. This case illustrates the importance of ensuring that summary dismissals are carried out in accordance with the law and the decision to summarily dismiss an employee must be taken with due care.

Digital transformation is not only about technology, it is about bringing together the power of technology with a culture that embraces the change and demands placed on the organizations by its customers. It enables the organization to continually transform and innovate to simultaneously drive and respond to the shifting demands…