NTUC, civil service unions support one-off payment by govt
SINGAPORE: Singapore's labour movement and its eight affiliated civil service unions support the government's decision to give a one-off year-end payment of 0.25 month, capped at S$750, to civil servants.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1020742/1/.html

Companies urged to reward workers who have performed well
SINGAPORE: Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong has urged companies to reward workers who have performed well.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1021342/1/.html

Pregnancy hinders career progression: Survey
Women in Australia fear falling pregnant will stymie their career, according to research released by CareerOne.com.au. Almost two thirds of women believe becoming pregnant will have a negative impact on their career.

For more, see http://www.hcamag.com/news/38893/details.aspx

MEF: Salaries linked to productivity
PETALING JAYA: The number of companies giving out salary increments to employees this year dropped to 56% compared to 81% last year.

For more, see http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/20/nation/5151553&sec=nation

Payroll fraud on the rise
HR and payroll professionals have been warned about a marked increase of payroll fraud over the past 12 months, which experts have said can be attributed to the more challenging economic environment and financial distress.

For more, see http://www.hcamag.com/news/38709/details.aspx

Parliament: Employment Act to have sexual harassment clauses
KUALA LUMPUR: The Employment Act will be amended in March next year to incorporate clauses on sexual harassment, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

For more, see http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/12/nation/20091112191132&sec=nation

War for talent is back
Australian employment figures are set to join the Australian dollar as being unforecastable. Some time soon the commentariat will need to stop trying to preserve what’s left of its credibility.

For more, see http://www.smh.com.au/business/war-for-talent-is-back-20091112-ibei.html

Australia's top employers for women announced
The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) has recognised a number of employers and individuals that are leading by example in creating workplaces that support working women.

For more, see http://www.hcamag.com/news/38528/details.aspx

Japanese women still hitting a glass and bamboo ceiling in the boardroom
Japan ranks 31st out of 35 countries in terms of the percentage of female board of directors, falling below Jordan, Oman and Kuwait, a U.S.-based nonprofit group said Tuesday.

For more, see http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20091111a4.html

Next big growth wave to come from Asia, not necessarily China: Yahoo
SINGAPORE: Internet search giant Yahoo said its next big wave of growth will come from Asia but not necessarily just from China and it said there are also ample opportunities for growth in emerging countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and India.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/corporatenews/view/1017237/1/.html

APEC to keep spending taps open
SINGAPORE: Asia-Pacific finance chiefs, anxious about the potential for a "double-dip recession", will keep lavish stimulus spending in place for now, according to a draft communique obtained by AFP on Tuesday.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/1017156/1/.html

JAL rehab plan revealed, includes DBJ bridge loan
The government revealed on Tuesday a set of measures to keep Japan Airlines Corp. afloat, including a bridge loan by a government-linked bank and possibly a special law to reduce pension benefits for retired workers of Japan's top airline.

For more, see http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nb20091111a1.html

Tripartite Advisory to Provide Guidance for Employers & Prepare for Economic Recovery
One year on from the Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower which outlined various downturn measures to cut cost and save jobs, the tripartite partners - the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) – have jointly released the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Manpower Challenges for Enhanced Competitiveness and Sustainability (see Annex).

For more, see http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/press_room/press_releases/2009/20091105-Tripartite_Advisory_To_Provide_Guidance_For_Employers___Prepare_For_Economic_Recovery.html

Number of job ads in Singapore continued to rise in Q3
SINGAPORE: Singapore's labour market continued to firm up in the third quarter, with the number of job advertisements rising in the July to September period.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1016910/1/.html

Aiming for 9pc GDP growth until 2020
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will work towards achieving an annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 9% until the year 2020 in order to meet its target of becoming a high-income nation, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

For more, see http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/9/business/20091109113647&sec=business

Brown calls for global tax
THE international finance community was split over the weekend after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown surprised world leaders by announcing that he wanted to explore a multibillion-dollar worldwide tax on financial transactions.

For more, see http://www.smh.com.au/business/brown-calls-for-global-tax-20091108-i3j7.html

MM Lee says future challenges will focus on economic issues
SINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said global competition in the future will centre around economic issues.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1016219/1/.html

SM Goh says Singapore needs new identity to stay ahead
SINGAPORE : Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said Singapore needs to be one of the most liveable cities - not just in Asia, but globally - and one that goes beyond being clean, green and safe.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1016240/1/.html

7 employers charged
SEVEN employers were charged in the Subordinate Courts this week, five for failing to provide their workers with the statutory benefits under the Employment Act.

For more, see http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_451011.html

9 in 10 S'pore workers prefer to work for ethical firms: survey
SINGAPORE: Ninety-one per cent of Singapore workers said that they are more likely to work for an organisation that is ethically and socially responsible, according to a survey by Kelly Services.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1016176/1/.html

Labour chief urges firms to be socially responsible when rewarding workers
SINGAPORE : Be socially responsible when considering rewards for workers, said labour chief Lim Swee Say. He added that such a stance would further strengthen ties between labour and management.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1016155/1/.html

Organisations and Workers Benefit from Best Sourcing Initiative (BSI)
Since the launch of the Best Sourcing Initiative (BSI) Early Adopters Scheme (BEAS) by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) on 29 July 2009, more organisations have adopted the best sourcing practice. A total of 64 contracts with a total value of $125 million have been evaluated for the BEAS incentive grant. To-date, $900,000 BEAS incentive grant, almost half of the $2 million scheme, has been awarded to 11 organisations.

For more, see http://app2.wda.gov.sg/web/Contents/Contents.aspx?Yr=2009&ContId=930

New resource centre to help recovering mental patients find jobs
SINGAPORE: There is now a new vocational rehabilitation centre that aims to help those with mental illness to select, secure and keep a job. The centre, known as Job Club, is spearheaded by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1015936/1/.html

Language skill-shy job-hunting grads falling prey
University and college students are increasingly falling prey to language and other vocational schools that are cashing in on their employment fears amid the economic slump, the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan said Wednesday.

For more, see http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20091105a8.html

Worst job interview stuff-ups
It’s amazing that job interview preparation isn't formally taught. They are some of the most important encounters that you will have, but often people seem to stuff them up.

For more, see http://blogs.theage.com.au/executive-style/managementline/2009/11/04/worstjobinter.html

Take sexual harassment reports seriously, Shahrizat tells employers
KUALA LUMPUR: Employers must take sexual harassment reports seriously because it is an act that cannot be tolerated, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

For more, see http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/2/nation/5024753&sec=nation

Toyota's new hires headed for plants
NAGOYA (Kyodo) In an unusual move, Toyota Motor Corp. plans to start using all of the 900 or so college graduates who joined the automaker this spring as factory workers in January to boost production of fuel-efficient vehicles, company officials said.

For more, see http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20091101a3.html

Survey ranks S'pore as world's No.2 best place to do business
SINGAPORE: Singapore overtook London as the investors' preferred place for doing business in a Bloomberg Global survey.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1014772/1/.html

Poll shows companies bracing for staff attrition as economy improves
SINGAPORE: Companies are bracing themselves for staff attrition as the economy improves.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1015299/1/.html

It takes two to tango
Australia's pension system rates highly — but more can be done to ensure we live comfortably in old age.

For more, see http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/money/planning/it-takes-two-to-tango/2009/10/27/1256405381901.html