On 18 September 2023, the Government issued Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP, amending, with immediate effect, Decree No. 152 on foreign employees working in Viet Nam, aiming to streamline the recruitment process of foreign workers.
In April 2023, the Dutch Cabinet proposed a bill (Clarification of the Evaluation of Employment Relationships and the Legal Presumption) to clarify the legal assessment of employment relationships (when work must be performed as an employee and when it can be performed as a self-employed person).
On 6 October 2023, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour opened the internet consultation on the legislative Proposal. During this time, interested parties were invited to comment and propose amendments. The consultation ended on 10 November 2023.
The Proposal is expected to enter into force on 1 July 2025.
On 25 September 2023, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) rejected an employee claim, stating that employers who offer employees more favourable sick leave benefits are not obliged to pay statutory sick leave.
It is the first decision rendered on the issue after the Sick Leave Act 2022 (the Act) which came into force on 1 January 2023.
The bill proposes new provisions in the Employment Rights Act 1996 aiming to give workers on atypical contracts and agency workers the right to request more predictable terms and conditions of work.
On 9 May 2023, the Minister of Manpower ("MoM") issued Decree No. 88 of 2023 on Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, updating the previous guidelines in force since 2011 (MOM Decree No. SE.03/MEN/IV/2011).
The Guidelines identify actions employers should take to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace effectively.
In August 2023, the Singapore government accepted the final recommendations of the Tripartite Committee on the proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL).
The WFL seeks to settle disputes via mediation rather than litigation, maintaining a workplace culture that is harmonious and not litigious.
The government will work with tripartite partners to implement the recommendations into law, which is expected in 2024.