4 August, 2015
Employee privacy has been a hot topic for a while across the region. This month we look at how the rules are interpreted in New Zealand, examining the case of Karen May Hammond v Credit Union Baywide [2015] NZHRRT 6, in which an employer pressured an employee to access a former employee’s Facebook page, and, when it didn’t like what it saw, took action against the former employee.
Over in China, draft Opinions have been published, clarifying various aspects of Chinese labour law, including in relation to termination of employment and open-term (or permanent) contracts. We look at the likely changes here.
The Supreme Court of Japan has affirmed the Abe government’s efforts to retain women in the workforce in two recent decisions. The first deals with maternity discrimination, and looks at an employer’s obligation to properly manage requests for accommodation; the second looks at what amounts to sexual harassment, and whether an employer is entitled to discipline employees who make unsavoury comments in the workplace. Those cases are discussed here.
In Australia, we look at how the regulators are turning their attention to overseas workers, and making sure that employees working outside of Australia are afforded proper protection.
Our compliance check this month reminds readers of their data protection obligations in Malaysia, and what is needed for compliance. That report can be found here.
Managing social security and pension contributions across Asia can be a daunting task, especially for new entrants into the market. We compare the rules in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, Japan and Thailand here.
For further information, please contact:
Fatim Jumabhoy, Herbert Smith Freehills
fatim.jumsbhoy@hsf.com
