This week we launch the 2018 edition of Bargaining under the Fair Work Act and highlight findings from our recent Australian bargaining survey. Click here to discover more.
Australia: Employment Taxes Update – April 2018
Our colleagues at Greenwoods + Herbert Smith Freehills have published their April update on Employment Taxes. Click here to discover more.
Australia: Queensland notifies Labour Hire Licensing Regulation
The Labour Hire Licensing Regulation 2018 (Qld) was notified Friday, 6 April 2018. Key matters addressed in the Regulation are:
- exclusions from the scheme established in the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 (Qld); and
- detail of the operational requirements of the scheme, particularly in relation to applications for licences, fees and reporting.
A brief update on these matters is below. For more information, the full text of the Regulation is available here and our earlier update on the Act passed in September 2017 is available here.
APAC: Managing Employee Personal Information Part 2
We continue our review of the different obligations employers have around the region in relation to collecting, using and storing employee data by looking at some further common issues.
Filed under Data protection and privacy, Jurisdiction: Asia
South Korea: Compliance Check- Working Hours
The National Assembly has approved amendments to the Labour Standards Act to reduce the total working hours over a 7 day period from 68 hours to 52 hours. This change further demonstrates the government’s crackdown on long working hours, and businesses should expect increasing scrutiny of their operations.
India: Maharashtra Adopts Model Shop and Establishments Legislation
By way of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, 2017, the state of Maharashtra has adopted the Central Government’s model legislation intended to increase the ease of doing business and boosting employment opportunities for women. The Act represents significant reform of the prevailing legislation and employers should take note of the changes to ensure compliance and to best utilise the flexibility afforded by the new regime.
Philippines: Crack Down on Contracting
The Philippines Government has been stepping up its efforts to crack down “labor-contracting” to protect workers’ rights, as evidenced by the increase in its monitoring and enforcement actions. It is necessary for companies to ensure that service contractors and sub-contractors are compliant with the rules regulating “labor-contracting” by reviewing their contracting arrangements and employment practices.
Australia: Public consultation now open: The model WHS Act is under review
Safe Work Australia is undertaking an examination and report on the content and operation of the model WHS Act.
Australia: Petroleum and gas industry faces changes
In anticipation of amendments to the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 (Qld) (Act), companies covered by the Act should begin turning their minds to current appointments and potential changes they may wish to implement, particularly taking into account the proposed removal of the limitation period.