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APAC Edition
18th November 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

India plans major HR overhaul

The Indian government plans to improve human resource standards in the services sector to align with global practices. The planned initiative aims to enhance worker mobility amid ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. A study will evaluate hiring and training methods across industries to boost competitiveness and service quality. Experts noted that HR reforms are crucial for India's trade strategy, enabling negotiators to secure better mobility commitments and improved market access. "HR reforms are central to India's trade strategy," said an anonymous source familiar with the discussions.
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LEGAL

New Zealand's top court says Uber drivers are employees

New Zealand’s Supreme Court has sided with a lower court’s ruling that drivers of Uber should be treated as employees. The country's highest court unanimously dismissed the rideshare company’s appeal of a 2022 ruling by the Employment Court, which had said four Uber drivers were employees of the business rather than contractors. The Workers First Union said the judgement "paves the way for thousands of Workers First Union members to pursue full employment rights, including restitution for historic underpayment of wages and entitlements," and that it would now be advancing collective bargaining.
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HEALTH & SAFETY

South Korea's crackdown on 'workplaces of death'

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, a former labourer who was himself injured as a working child, aims to reduce the country's high industrial accident rate, which stands at 3.9 deaths per 100,000 workers, above the OECD average. His administration has increased safety spending and imposed fines on companies with multiple fatalities. However, critics argue that the measures are punitive rather than preventive. Labour Minister Kim Young-hoon has highlighted the need for a cultural shift in attitudes towards workplace safety to effect real change.
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STRATEGY

Japanese firms relax rules for workers

In Japan, retailers are relaxing hair colour rules amid a tight labour market. Hinako Mori, a 22-year-old employee at Don Quijote, says she appreciates the freedom to dye her hair, unlike in her previous job at a convenience store that enforced strict colour policies. Nearly 25% of Don Quijote's staff now sport bright hair, reflecting a broader relaxed trend among companies including Fuji Yakuhin and Tokyu Store. Reuters notes that Japanese employers have been gradually relaxing their dress codes over the past two decades, precipitated by a 2005 Ministry of Environment "Cool Biz" campaign that encouraged the ditching of jackets and ties to cut down on air conditioning costs during summer months.
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TECHNOLOGY

BlackRock moves to take on hedge fund giants

BlackRock is adding stockpickers to Systematic Total Alpha, its top mathematical and data-driven hedge fund, following a strategy pursued by rivals to house human and computer-driven strategies under one roof.
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TAX

China tightens tax scrutiny on citizens' overseas income

Local Chinese authorities are intensifying tax collection efforts, focusing on unreported overseas income. Six tax authorities, including those in Shenzhen and Beijing, are using big data to identify noncompliant taxpayers. Authorities urge taxpayers to correct any errors in previous filings to avoid risks. They plan to issue warnings and may publicly name serious violators. “Taxpayers should promptly correct any mistakes,” the authorities stated.
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INTERNATIONAL

BHP found liable over Mariana dam disaster

The High Court in London has ruled that BHP, the world’s biggest mining company, is legally liable for one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of Brazil. Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians, around 2,000 businesses, and dozens of local governments had sued BHP over the collapse of the Fundao dam in Mariana, in the southeast of the country, which was owned and operated by BHP and Vale's Samarco joint venture. The event unleashed a wave of toxic sludge that killed 19 people and polluted the length of the Doce River.  Judge Finola O'Farrell said in a summary of her ruling that BHP should not have continued to raise the height of the dam before its collapse, which was "a direct and immediate cause of collapse of the dam giving rise to fault-based liability on the part of BHP."

Amazon faces lawsuit over disability policies

Amazon is facing a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that its absence policy discriminates against warehouse employees with disabilities. The complaint, led by Cayla Lyster, claims that Amazon docks unpaid time off for employees seeking accommodations and threatens termination for excessive absences. Lyster, who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, described what she said was a "punitive absence control system," which she claims intimidates employees into not requesting necessary accommodations. The lawsuit seeks damages for hourly warehouse workers in New York who have sought or intended to seek accommodations over the past three years. Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, a workplace advocacy organisation, said that "workers shouldn't ever need to choose between their safety and their paycheck." The lawsuit follows a similar case filed by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin against Amazon for denying reasonable accommodation requests.

UK employment tribunals could be overwhelmed by flexible working requests

The proposed Employment Rights Bill may lead to significant litigation risks for UK businesses, according to the House of Lords Home-based Working Committee. The report, Is working from home working?, warns that unclear definitions of "reasonable" requests for flexible working could overwhelm employment tribunals. Baroness Rosalind Scott, chair of the committee, said: "Without a clear definition, there is a risk of years of litigation." The report also highlights potential inequalities in homeworking and the possibility of workers striking if forced back to the office. On the plus side, home working could support the government’s plans to get people back into work, by enabling people to work who might not otherwise be able to do so. The government plans to review the findings before responding next year.
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OTHER

L’Oréal takes stake in Chinese skincare brand Lan

L’Oréal has taken a minority stake in Chinese skincare brand Lan, its second recent investment in China, following a 442m yuan (£49m) purchase of a 6.67% stake in Chando. The company said the move underscores China’s strategic importance amid rising competition from local “C-beauty” brands. "We firmly believe investing in China is investing in the future, and we will continue to cultivate the Chinese market, work with more Chinese brands to create a beautiful future and meet the expectations of sophisticated Chinese consumers", added L'Oreal North Asia President and China chief executive Vincent Boinay.
 
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