The first quarter of 2023 is almost over. Time sure flies, doesn’t it? We round up the top HR news stories of March 2023.

Malaysia’s eVISA System Now Available in Singapore

Malaysia’s eVISA system can now be accessed in Singapore by any nationalities that require a visa to enter Malaysia. It offers Single Entry Visa (SEV) and Multiple Entry Visa (MEV) options. Applicants can apply via the Immigration Department of Malaysia’s website.

Credit Suisse Employees Desperately Looking for New Jobs

Bankers employed by embattled Swiss bank Credit Suisse have been reportedly been inundating headhunters with calls after its takeover by rival UBS. Employees are said to be feeling frustrated by the bank’s ongoing restructuring plans, with one source claiming they had been told their roles were safe only to find themselves in the redundancy line. The bank has said it plans to cut costs by CHF1.2 billion (US$1.3 billion) this year, primarily through reducing staff numbers.

Indonesia Passes Jobs Decree

Indonesia’s parliament has passed a controversial jobs decree into law, which aims to boost foreign investment by simplifying business permits and cutting red tape, while also relaxing labour protections. The law has faced widespread opposition and protests from labour unions and civil society groups, who argue that it will hurt workers’ rights and make it easier for companies to exploit them. The government has defended the law, saying it is necessary to create jobs and spur economic growth in the country, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tech Jobs Dominate Best Jobs in 2023

Indeed, one of the world’s largest job search engines, has released its list of the best jobs of 2023 based on salary, job opportunities, and growth potential. The top three jobs on the list are in the tech industry: machine learning engineer, data scientist, and cybersecurity specialist. Other notable jobs include digital marketing specialist, renewable energy technician, and healthcare administrator. The pandemic has accelerated the demand for jobs in technology, healthcare, and renewable energy, which are expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

Unemployment Falls in Malaysia

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the number of employed persons in Malaysia increased by 28,900 in January 2023 compared to the previous month. The labour force participation rate also increased by 0.1 percentage point to 68.9%, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%. The services sector continued to be the largest employer, accounting for 56.3% of the employed persons, followed by the manufacturing sector at 17.3%. The DOSM also reported a rise in the average monthly salaries and wages of employees, with the mean salary increasing by 2.5% and the median salary increasing by 3.0% compared to the same month in the previous year.

Singapore Employers That Hire Foreign Nationals Must Confirm Their Academic Credentials.

Starting September of this year, companies in Singapore that hire foreign nationals will be required to verify the educational qualifications of their employees through a new verification system, according to a statement by the Minister of Manpower Tan See Leng. This system will help employers ensure that the foreign workers they hire have the necessary skills and qualifications for their jobs, while also preventing the use of fake degrees and certificates. The system will be implemented gradually, starting with selected industries and expanding to cover all sectors by 2024. Companies that fail to comply with the new regulations may face penalties, including fines and restrictions on hiring foreign workers.

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The post About eVisas, Credit Suisse, and Jobs: HR News Roundup for March 2023 appeared first on BrioHR.

It’s been a rollercoaster year for HR. As we close out 2022, here are the top HR stories from Malaysia and beyond for December.

Amendments to Malaysia’s Employment Act to Come Into Force on January 2023, No More Deferments

Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar has announced that the amendments to the country’s Employment Act 1955 will come into force on 1 January 2023, despite calls from employers to postpone it to 2024.

“The enforcement of the amendments to the Act must proceed as planned as it was already passed in Parliament, with most of the amendments being based on the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention,” he told a press conference.

Key amendments include the extension of maternity leave from 60 days to 98 days, reduced weekly working hours from 48 to 45 hours, and seven-day paternity leave for married male employees.

Glassdoor’s Word of the Year Reflects Employer-Employee Tensions

It’s been an unprecedented year for both employers as well as employees, and Glassdoor’s word of the year reflects that. ‘Return-to-office’ is Glassdoor’s word of the year in the United States, with the share of all US-based employee reviews in 2022 mentioning ‘RTO’ doubling (+122 percent) since 2021.

Since the Omicron variant has eased, employers eagerly began calling workers back into the office. But with stronger bargaining power and inflation top of mind for many employees, many were willing to part ways for better pay, perks and flexibility.

With this in mind, ‘return-to-office’ was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from employees. When analyzing employee discussions on their company’s RTO policies, it is clear that employees want autonomy in choosing what type of work is best for them and clear communication from their employers when making decisions about how they work.

Indonesian Graduates Lack Marketable Skills: Minister

Indonesian Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah said that the country’s labour market faces the challenge of unemployed graduates.

The domestic market is dominated by junior high school graduates and lower-level graduates, while there is a high unemployment rate among university graduates.

“Unemployment among higher education graduates is because it doesn’t meet the needs of the market,” Ida said at the Indonesia Economic Outlook 2023. She also said that the Manpower Ministry will emphasize vocational training and education to tackle this issue.

Singapore Raises Foreign Worker Quota

Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has launched a new scheme for firms to temporarily hire foreign workers above their quota.

The Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities (M-SEP) scheme allows qualifying firms to obtain additional S Pass and Work Permit quotas of up to 5% above their base workforce headcount, subject to a cap of 50 workers per firm.

To qualify, firms must also commit to employ and/or train locals, as well as participate in programmes in line with Singapore’s strategy to innovate and internationalize.

Upskilling the Number One Priority for Human Resources Minister

In a poll conducted by BrioHR on LinkedIn, a majority of respondents want the new Minister for Human Resources of Malaysia, V. Sivakumar to focus on workforce upskilling. This result puts upskilling ahead of other priorities, such as implementing fair working standards or addressing an ongoing labour shortage.

Benjamin Croc, co-founder and CEO of BrioHR said, “The survey results show that the need for workforce upskilling and reskilling has never been greater. Working professionals are hoping that the government will enact policies encouraging employers to consider upskilling their current workforce to fill skill gaps rather than incurring the expense and time commitment of hiring new employees.”

“For many, the pandemic was also an opportunity to rethink their working methods and careers, as well as how supported they felt at work. The Great Resignation could be explained, at least in part, by people seeking better opportunities; a better work-life balance in addition to a higher pay cheque,” shared Croc.

 He added that in order to make Malaysia more resilient, capable, and inclusive, a redefined HR approach is needed to ensure that organisations have an updated workforce with skills that enable them to invest in new and better technologies.

The post About Employment Legislation, Tensions, and Upskilling: HR News Roundup for December 2022 appeared first on BrioHR.