The law on demotions in Hong Kong
Business,Business Advice,Hong Kong,Regional Law

Reading Time: 3 minutesA demotion normally involves a reduction in rank or status, or a decrease in job responsibilities and/or salary. An employer may wish to demote an employee for a variety of reasons including poor performance, capability and/or as an alternative to termination. Regardless of the reason for the demotion, an employer should be careful when demoting […]

Vietnam: Work Permit – The Key Point in Resolving Labour Disputes with Foreign Employees
Business,Business Advice,Employment,Legal Contracts,Regional Law,Vietnam

Reading Time: 9 minutesOne of the requirements for foreigners to work in Vietnam is to be granted a work permit by the competent Vietnamese authorities (Article 169.1.(d) of the 2012 Labor Code).  However, due to the practical, day-to-day demands of business, many companies do not comply with this regulation and often sign labor contracts with foreign employees without […]

Hong Kong: Amendments to an employment contract – whether there is “real benefit” to an employer
Business,Business Advice,Employment,Hong Kong,Regional Law

Reading Time: 4 minutesIntroduction In our previous newsletter “Amendments to an Employment Contract Must Be Supported by Fresh Consideration” (September 2017), we discussed the ruling of the Court of First Instance (“CFI”) in Wu Kit Man v Dragonway Group Holdings Limited HCLA 15/2016, where the CFI held that amendments to an existing employment contract were unenforceable due to lack of […]

ASEAN Employment Legal Update 2018 Q.4
Employment,Legal Updates

Reading Time: 11 minutesDFDL’s Employment Practice Group is dedicated to advising clients on employment and labor issues and preparing human resources documentation that is compliant with local laws.  Our employment team’s in-depth knowledge of the law and practices in the countries where we operate allows us to provide specialized, tailored, and practical advice on issues that arise in […]

Employment Claims Tribunals to hear wrongful dismissal and salary-related claims from April 2019
Business,Employment,Legal Updates,Personal

Reading Time: 6 minutesThe story In 60 Seconds Proposed amendments to the Employment Act (“EA“) include the enhancement of the existing employment dispute resolution framework. This includes empowering the Employment Claims Tribunal (“ECT“) to adjudicate wrongful dismissal claims, in addition to salary-related disputes, with effect from 1 April 2019. Read with other tabled changes to the EA, the […]

Changes to the Employment Act (2018 and beyond): What you need to know
Employment,Legal Everyday,Legal Updates

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Employment Act (EA) is Singapore’s main labour law which provides the basic terms and working conditions for all employee. On 5th March this year, the Ministry of Manpower announced plans to expand the fundamental coverage of the EA. This was a response to a fast-changing workforce where the number of PMETs (professionals, managers, executives […]

What are the legal obligations when writing employee references?
Business,Business Advice,Employment,Personal

Reading Time: 8 minutesIntroduction – A lesson to be shared The departure of an employee is a common occurrence and there are many reasons why one would choose to leave his work. Whatever the reason may be, it is not uncommon for an employer to receive requests from prospective employers for references of the departing/departed employee. An employee […]