Asia Employment, Pensions and Incentives Update: December 2022

The December update covers the following:

• An update on the draft law to regulate remote working in Thailand. See here for an overview of the proposed changes.
• In Hong Kong, the Court of Appeal recently confirmed that standby days are not rest days; employees on standby must still be granted proper rest days even if they don’t end up working on their standby days. Read a summary of the case here.
• There are a number of updates coming out of Mainland China this month. With the relaxation of the zero Covid policy, employers are grappling with issues around wages, work injury compensation, remote working and vaccinations. We summarise a list of FAQs here. Additionally, we remind employers that the latest revision to the law on the protection of rights and interests of women will come into effect on 1 January 2023. See here for a summary of the changes.
• Our Compliance Check this month looks at the new code of practice in Singapore issued by the Workplace Safety and Health Council which provides guidance on health and safety duties for chief executives and board of directors. Compliance with the code may be taken as a mitigating factor in the event of a breach of the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006 so it’s important that chief executives and directors consider implementing the measures suggested in the code. Read the summary here.
• Finally, our Asia Comparative Article considers the requirements in carrying over, cashing out and forfeiting statutory annual leave. Compare the rules in Singapore, Hong Kong, Mainland China and Indonesia here.