China Staff articles from February 2006

China Staff archives from February 2006

Anti-discrimination law is no expat "bye-bye" law: there is concern that the Hong Kong government's recently proposed race discrimination will make the SAR a less appealing posting for overseas expatriates. Tess Lyons examines aspects of the legislations and talks with Baker & McKenzie's Jennifer Van Dale to discuss its legal ramifications.(The Expatriate Scene)
February 1, 2006... The preparations for the introduction of Hong Kong's anti-race discrimination legislation have not been sudden. In 2003, the Hong Kong Government declared that legislation prohibiting racial discrimination in certain areas was forthcoming. In...

Aggressive growth plans spur strong hiring outlook: even after a long period of growing confidence, job expectations continue to rise, according to Hudson's latest report on Hong Kong employment trends in Q1 of 2006.(Employment Trends)
February 1, 2006... Expectations for permanent employment, already high, are still rising, with a positive longer-term outlook. In a quarterly-run study by executive search firm Hudson, almost 500 executives from a range of industries were surveyed and 54%...

The desire to re-hire.(Recruitment Strategies I)
February 1, 2006... Can you go home again? The concept of boomerang employees in Asia is growing. But are boomerangs traitors or morale boosters? Once re-installed will they once again bolt, or display a strong sense of loyalty and appreciation? The answers to...

Staff selection: 12 common faults: the Hong Kong job market is in a flurry as the job-hunting season flags off after the Chinese New Year. But to recruit staff successfully, one must know what to look out for and be able to recognise it when one sees it. Philip Scholfield cautions managers not to undertake recruitment in haste just to the pressure to fill vacancies almost instantly.(Recruitmant Strategies II)
February 1, 2006... Selection, the most costly and time-consuming part of the recruitment process, is sometimes delegated to line managers. Ideally, they should be involved in the selection process and have a veto on appointments that are subordinate to them....

China's draft Labour Contract Law: Andreas Lauffs of Baker & McKenzie scopes out the major changes ahead for employers that will undoubtedly effect a wave of change in the structure of contracts and HR policies.(The PRC Workforce)
February 1, 2006... A draft of The Labour Contract Law of the People's Republic of China was passed by the State Council in October 2005 and is scheduled for the second reading by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. It could become law in the...

Chinese New Year bonus: custom or contractual obligation? Employees often look forward to an extra month's payout this time of year but what happens if the contract is not explicit on this? Kicking off China Staff's new column on Hong Kong employment issues, Pattie Walsh teases out the intricacies of the thirteenth month salary.(HK Employment Watch)
February 1, 2006... Q: Our company has been paying a thirteenth month salary to all employees at Chinese New Year since we started operating in 1997. Following a recent contractual review, we found that the written contracts of 5 employees do not include any...

Can annual bonus replace overtime pay? Payment of overtime is increasingly the subject of scrutiny by the authorities and employees. Prudent employers will bring their HR practices into line with their legal obligations.(Labour Law Forum)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2006... Q: My company is quite small and our staff includes mainly service and sales people who work mostly outside the office. Good service is important to our business success and our field staff work the hours necessary to look after our clients. At...

Banking industry headcounts up.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Better investment prospects in Hong Kong has led to the need for more manpower in the banking industry, reported the Hong Kong Economic Times. T.C. Chan, Citigroup's Country Officer for Hong Kong and Head of Greater China for Corporate &...

New tax bracket for Hong Kongers working in mainland.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... After raising the minimum level of personal taxable income to RMB1,600 for mainland local employees, sources close to the mainland tax authorities say China will also raise the level of those for foreign workers, including Hong Kongers. It is...

Mainland direct investment soars in Hong Kong.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... China's mainland has been a major source of direct investment to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), reported Xinhua News Agency, amounting to HK$62 billion. This accounts for a 63% rise over the previous year, said Mike Rowse,...

Jobless rate falls accompanied by labour decline.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Hong Kong's unemployment rate dipped to a 52-month low of 5.2% in January 2006. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate dropped to 5.2% from 5.3% in December, the government. That was the lowest since September 2001. Hong Kong's unemployment...

Counting on new projects to create more jobs.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Financial Secretary Henry Tang hopes to expedite the launch of work on the new government headquarters at the Tamar site to boost job creation for Hong Kong people. According to Mr Tang, an annual expenditure of HK$29 billion, good enough for...

Contract doctors to get annual pay rise.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Contract doctors will get a pay rise in April as the Hospital Authority plans to narrow wage disparities and enhance job security, reported The Standard. Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food said this would give deserving doctors an annual...

Foreign investors select China as R&D base.(China News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Foreign investors are setting up an increasing number of research and development facilities in China, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. There are about 750 of these centers in China, mainly distributed in Shanghai, Beijing...

Taiwan investors shift focus to North-east China.(China News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... The northeastern regions of China have become the focus of investors from Taiwan. Along with the implementation of China's strategy to rejuvenate the northeastern old industrial bases, the regions possess comparative advantages in energy supply...

Beijing faces tough employment task.(China News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Beijing needs to add 300,000 jobs in 2006, according to the Beijing Labour and Social Security Bureau. The city aims to keep the urban registered unemployment rate below 2.5%. The rate was 2.21% at the end of last year, according to...

Rise in trade unions in foreign funded ventures.(China News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Overseas-funded ventures in Shanghai are hosting an increasing number of trade unions and the trend is expected to continue, experts predict. About 6,209, or 32%, of the 19,600 companies funded from overseas in Shanghai had set up unions...

5.1 million laid off workers find re-employment.(China News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Against a troubling labour surplus this year estimated at about 14 million, the National Development and Reform Commission reported it has helped 5.1 million laid-off workers find jobs again in 2005, including 1.1 million between 40 and 50. ...

Migrant workers see higher wages.(China News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Most migrant workers enjoyed wage increases in 2005 and the number of employers defaulting on salaries was alleviated, a survey has indicated. According to the results of a poll released by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security...

Demand for expatriates remain high in China.(Data Page)(Table)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... Demand for expatriates remain high in China Expatriate population change in the coming 12 months No change 31% Population Decrease 19% Population Increase 50% Drivers behind... Decrease Reason ...