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APAC Edition
24th January 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
Work-life balance soars in importance for workers around the world
Work-life balance has emerged as the top priority for employees globally, surpassing salary for the first time in 22 years, according to Randstad's annual review of the world of work. The survey, which included 26,000 workers across 35 countries, revealed that 83% of respondents value work-life balance equally with job security, while 82% prioritise pay. Randstad chief executive Sander van ‘t Noordende observed: “Work today is about more than just a pay cheque. Talent globally are looking for workplaces that align with their personal values, aspirations and circumstances.” The report highlights a significant shift in workplace expectations, particularly among younger workers, with 74% of Gen Z prioritising work-life balance over pay. Furthermore, almost two-thirds (64%) of workers reported that they were able to choose the intensity of their work, an increase on the previous year, suggesting that workplace flexibility has normalised, Randstad said.
LEGAL
India watchdog orders new inquiry into Foxconn hiring
India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has initiated an investigation into Foxconn's hiring practices after a Reuters report revealed that the company excluded married women from iPhone assembly jobs at its plant in southern India. The NHRC's findings indicate that only 6.7% of the 33,360 women employed at the factory were married, raising concerns about potential discrimination. The NHRC criticised local labour officials for not thoroughly examining hiring documents and failing to address the core issue of discrimination against married women. Despite the controversy, both Apple and Foxconn maintain that they hire married women in India. The NHRC has ordered a comprehensive investigation to be completed within four weeks.
WORKFORCE
Vietnam's factory workers flee city for return to rural life
A wave of Vietnamese workers is rejecting big city life for a quieter existence back home - leaving metropolitan businesses struggling to fill their ranks. AFP profiles Nguyen Thi Hiep, who has spent 16 years in Ho Chi Minh City making shoes for Western brands such as Adidas and Nike, but now says: "I have stayed in this city long enough . . . I work all day long, starting at sunrise and ending when it's dark . . . But I still struggle to pay my rent." In 2022, more than 60% of the city's migrant population had decided to leave or were considering it, according to a survey by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the UN's International Organization for Migration. An August poll from ViecLamTot found that around 30% of manufacturers in Ho Chi Minh City faced a labour shortage, and 85% said they were having trouble recruiting.
CORPORATE
Deloitte's Mark Maclean on HR transformation and challenges
Mark Maclean, HR Transformation Leader at Deloitte Southeast Asia, highlights the importance of technology, workforce, and stakeholder engagement in successful HR transformations. He tells Asian Business Review that "Balancing the drive for global harmonisation and tailoring to business needs and resistance to change are the most common challenges in global HR transformations." Maclean predicts that the HR field will undergo transformation as generative artificial intelligence features in leading cloud HR platforms become more advanced, and calls for organisations to consider ways to empower and enable managers and workers to take ownership of their data and manage performance, freeing HR to focus on providing better advice to business leaders.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Japan's middle-aged men snap under stress ahead of retirement
Recent incidents in Japan highlight a troubling trend of middle-aged men resorting to violence, reflecting their struggles with stress before retirement, South China Morning Post reports. Katsuhiko Fukuda, a 58-year-old doctor, was arrested for allegedly slapping an airline employee after missing his flight. Similarly, 61-year-old Yoshihide Fukamachi was detained for slapping a woman over a bar bill, while 59-year-old Masahisa Onomura threatened a passenger with an ice pick for coughing. According to Izumi Tsuji, a professor at Tokyo's Chuo University, the increasing stress from work and a widespread fear of intervention in violent situations are contributing to this behavioural trend. Sumie Kawakami, a lecturer at Yamanashi Gakuin University, observes that many older men face financial pressures that are making retirement increasingly challenging. “Life is getting harder for Japan's older generations,” she said, highlighting the difficulties these men encounter in a society where they are expected to be the primary earners.
India places high on most-overworked rankings
A feature on the countries with the longest working hours cites data from the International Labour Organization which shows that India ranks 13th among the most overworked countries. Larsen & Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan recently sparked controversy by suggesting that workweeks be extended to 90 hours. India already struggles with a culture of extended work schedules, with an average 46.7 working hours per week, and over 50% of staff working 49 hours or more.

 
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HIRING
Thai long-term visa scheme changes are approved
Major changes to Thailand's Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa programme have been approved, with modifications to the scheme offering 10-year residence permits with unlimited border crossings to highly-skilled professionals, remote workers, the wealthy, and pensioners. Board of Investment secretary-general Narit Therdsteerasukdi said: "These adjustments will streamline the entry and residence process for foreign professionals in Thailand." Work experience requirements for skilled and remote workers have been eliminated, with qualifications, income levels, and employment with certain overseas organisations more highly prized.
RISK
Edelman Trust Barometer finds trust in authority eroded
The latest Edelman Trust Barometer survey has revealed a dramatic change in people's trust in governments, business leaders and the media, with some 31% of Gen Z respondents agreeing that violence to persons or property can be justified. Chief executive Richard Edelman said that: “We’re seeing a lot more nationalism and a lot more frankly questionable science and allegations about industries. For me, the most alarming statistic in this barometer has to do with Gen Z feeling so aggrieved that they sanction violence of one form or another.” The survey of over 32,000 people in 28 countries found that average citizens feel that capitalism does not work for them, with a majority also feeling discriminated against.
INTERNATIONAL
Working from home is 'not proper work', former UK retail boss says
Working from home is creating a generation who are "not doing proper work," says Lord Rose, the former boss of UK retailers Marks and Spencer and Asda. Lord Rose told BBC Panorama that home working was part of the UK economy's "general decline" and employees' productivity was suffering. His comments come as some companies call time on remote working. Amazon, Boots and JPMorgan are just some of the businesses which now require their head office staff to be in every day. Lord Rose said: "We have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country's wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four." In a December 2024 survey by the Office for National Statistics, 26% of people said they had been hybrid-working in the prior seven days, while 13% had been fully remote and 41% had been fully office-based (the remainder were not working at the time). Work-from-home expert Prof Nicholas Bloom says that while fully remote work can be "quite damaging" to some workers' productivity, spending three days out of five in the office was as productive as fully office-based work overall. 
LGBTQ+ workers breathe easier post-ruling
A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision which barred job discrimination improved the mental health of LGBTQ+ workers, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry. The court's 2020 Bostock v Clayton County decision extended employment protections to nearly 3.6m LGBTQ+ people in 12 states, and as a consequence, the study says those workers experienced improvements in their mental health. “Implementation of a federal ban on sexual orientation–based employment discrimination after the Bostock decision was associated with significant relative reductions in poor mental health days and severe mental distress among employed sexual minority adults,” a team led by Michael Liu, a student at Harvard Medical School, concluded. The Bostock decision affirmed that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Student protestors in Serbia call for general strike
In Serbia, student organisers have announced a general strike this week to protest the tragic roof collapse at a train station in Novi Sad last November, which resulted in 15 fatalities. A leading student group has urged citizens to participate in "general civil disobedience" on Friday, encouraging them to refrain from work and daily activities. A statement said: "Let's take freedom into our own hands! Your participation makes a difference." The call for action follows a series of protests and road blockades across the country, driven by public outrage over perceived corruption and inadequate oversight in construction projects.
Worker caught watching porn on work phone wins case
A security guard in Spain has been reinstated and awarded €7,500 in compensation after being dismissed for watching pornography at work. The High Court of Justice of Catalonia ruled that the dismissal was unfair, saying: “On its own, viewing sexual content during working hours on some occasions cannot be held to constitute a serious breach of contractual good faith.” The court also highlighted that the company violated the worker's right to privacy by monitoring his phone without consent.
OTHER
Apple launches Apple Store app in India
Apple has launched the Apple Store app in India, enhancing its retail presence and offering a personalised shopping experience. The app, now available on India's App Store, features five tabs: For You, Products, Go Further, Search, and Bag. The For You tab suggests tailored Apple products based on user preferences, while the Go Further tab connects users with Apple Specialists for online sessions and tips. Karen Rasmussen, Apple's head of retail online, said: “At Apple, our customer is at the centre of everything we do, and we are thrilled to introduce the Apple Store app to reach even more users in India.” The launch coincides with Apple becoming one of the top five smartphone brands in India, achieving a 9%-10% market share in the fourth quarter of 2024, driven by festive discounts and offers.
 


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