Human Times

APAC Edition

26th November 2025

THE HOT STORY

Australia's ‘world first’ minimum pay deal for food delivery drivers

In a deal that has been described as a “world first”, Australia's two largest food delivery services, DoorDash and Uber Eats, are partnering with the Transport Workers’ Union to set new minimum standards for delivery drivers, including a minimum hourly wage and accident insurance for injuries sustained on the job. Under the terms of a draft agreement released on Tuesday, their workers would earn at least A$31.30 ($20.19) per hour, an increase of about 25% for some couriers who are paid per delivery and not for how long they have worked. The deal would put them level with the minimum wage earned by Australian casual workers.

STRATEGY

Apple cuts jobs across sales team

Apple has cut dozens of jobs within its sales organisation as part of a restructuring effort aimed at streamlining how it sells to businesses, schools, and government agencies. Employees were informed over recent weeks, though Apple didn’t disclose the exact number of roles eliminated. The cuts affected account managers, briefing centre staff, and even longtime employees, including members of a government-focused team, and followed smaller layoffs in Australia and New Zealand. While Apple publicly framed the move as eliminating overlapping responsibilities, some workers believe the company is shifting more sales activity to third-party resellers to reduce internal costs.

Hong Kong firms eye Saudi Arabia for expansion

According to an HSBC survey, nearly 20% of Hong Kong businesses prefer Saudi Arabia for supply chain diversification, with China following at 14%. The survey highlights a growing trend among technology, media, and telecommunications firms to favour Saudi Arabia. Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po noted that a recent delegation to Riyadh resulted in five memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for collaboration.

South China Morning Post

LEGAL

Abuse of Korea's five-person labour law 'leads to overwork and abuse'

The five-person rule in Korean law, which allows businesses with fewer than five employees to evade significant labour regulations, precipitates widespread violations of workers' rights, advocates say. A recent case involved a barbecue restaurant in Seoul, which, despite having seven locations and annual sales of 10bn won, denied employees holiday and overtime pay. Labour attorney Ha Eun-seong observed that the owner misrepresented the business structure to avoid regulations. The Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Administration has also referred a similar case for prosecution, highlighting a growing issue of fraudulent registrations among small businesses.

Korea Joongang Daily

Singapore orders Apple, Google crackdown

Singapore police have invoked the Online Criminal Harms Act to require Apple and Google to block spoofed messages impersonating government agencies on iMessage and Google Messages. The move follows scams mimicking entities including SingPost. Authorities noted that spoofed names such as “gov.sg” appear legitimate due to their placement alongside SMS messages. While government SMS is protected by a registry, this doesn’t extend to encrypted apps. Apple and Google have agreed to comply, and the public is urged to update apps to activate new protections.

Reuters

TECHNOLOGY

Australian machine learning tools drafting plans for NDIS

In Australia, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is using machine learning to assist in drafting plans for NDIS participants. Documents reveal that 300 staff participated in a trial of Microsoft's Copilot AI, which was limited to non-client-facing tasks. The NDIA clarified that final decisions remain with human delegates. Dr Georgia Van Toorn from the University of New South Wales cautioned about the limitations of machine learning, saying: "We can't expect a machine-learning approach to be able to predict the types of support someone will need if that person doesn't fit neatly into a box." The NDIA said it aims to improve efficiency while ensuring human oversight.

The Guardian

CYBERSECURITY

AI layoffs drive technology workers to dark web jobs

A study by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reveals a significant rise in résumés posted on underground forums, doubling in early 2024 compared to the previous year. The trend reflects a growing shadow job market that is absorbing unemployed and overqualified individuals amid AI-fuelled layoffs. Alexandra Fedosimova, a digital footprint analyst at Kaspersky, observed: "The shadow job market is no longer peripheral; it's absorbing the unemployed." The report highlights that résumés now outnumber vacancies by 55% to 45%, with many applicants willing to take any job, including illegal roles. Kaspersky urges monitoring of online activity to guide youth towards legitimate tech careers.

Khaleej Times Online

INTERNATIONAL

EBRD warns how aging populations will challenge growth

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's semiannual report warns that aging populations have already begun to hinder economic growth in certain countries - some of which need to act now to keep slowing population growth from wreaking havoc on their long-term economic prospects. "Already today, demography is eroding growth in living standards, and it is going to be a headwind for GDP growth in the future," EBRD chief economist Beata Javorcik told Reuters. She also observed that post-communist nations "are getting old before getting rich." The report noted that migration at a level needed to counteract falling birth rates is not politically palatable in most places.

Daily Sabah

Reuters

Workers sue over restrictions on second jobs

In Washington state, workers are challenging moonlighting bans imposed by employers which restrict their ability to take on additional jobs, especially with competitors. Recent lawsuits have been filed against major companies including Amazon, Alaska Airlines, and Costco, arguing that such restrictions limit economic mobility for low-wage workers. A recent ruling by the state Supreme Court deemed blanket bans on moonlighting unreasonable, allowing lower-wage workers to seek multiple jobs without fear of losing income. However, many employers still enforce these bans, leading to ongoing legal disputes. Attorney Timothy Emery observed: “Anyone making minimum wage in Washington's largest cities knows that without a second job, it's virtually impossible to make rent and pay rising food costs.”

OregonLive.com

UK minister suggests climbdown over workers' rights

UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle has hinted he may concede to amendments on Labour's Employment Rights Bill to make it less damaging to business during a speech at the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) annual conference. He said concerns about the Bill, which provides day one protections, bans zero-hour contracts and alters statutory sick leave, were exaggerated, observing: "In the world we're living in now, the workplace is fundamentally different than it was 10 and 20 years ago. The law has to keep up, regulation has to keep up." Kyle added: "I'll do what it takes to get it through because I need to get on with the real business." He also said that he would hold a series of 26 consultations with companies after the Bill becomes law.

Daily Mail

The Guardian

The Times

OTHER

Black Friday sales heat up in Japan

Retailers in Japan are ramping up early Black Friday campaigns to attract cost-conscious shoppers amid ongoing inflation. Supermarkets and major retailers are rolling out significant discounts and themed promotions ahead of the main event. Ito-Yokado is offering selected fresh foods and goods for ¥96 and ¥960, using the number “96”, read as kuro, meaning “black” as a playful Black Friday tie-in. It also ran a Red Price Day preview campaign and is partnering with Netflix to sell snacks aimed at younger customers. Meanwhile, Aeon Retail has launched discounts on around 2,000 items, and Amazon Japan has commenced a large sale covering over 3m items, from daily necessities to food, and is offering experiential bundles that combine camping gear with campground vouchers.

Japan Times

The Human Times is designed to help you stay ahead, spark ideas and support innovation, learning and development in your organisation.

The links under articles indicate original news sources. Some links lead directly to the source material. Others lead to paywalls where you may need a subscription. A third category are restricted by copyright rules.

For reaction and insights on any stories covered in the Human Times, join the discussion by becoming a member of our LinkedIn Group or Business Page, or follow us on X.

Online

Advertise

This e-mail has been sent to [[EMAIL_TO]]

Click here to unsubscribe