China Staff articles from September 2005

China Staff archives from September 2005

Is there a doctor in town? As more international companies hire non-nationals, the way medical benefits are structured will affect the company's reputation and budget. Particular attention has to be paid to employees who travel extensively throughout the region to developing markets where health facilities are well below the standard found in Hong Kong.(Benefits)
September 1, 2005... Have you ever been awaken in the middle of the night by an employee posted in a remote location who needs medical attention? Would you be able to answer his questions--where is the nearest medical centre, what is the pre-authorised limit, can...

Does an executive retirement plan make sense for your organisation? Are your CEO and CFO interested in retaining key executives and compensating them in a more tax-efficient manner? If so, a supplemental pension plan may be the answer, Towers Perrins' Andy Lee and Wing Lui.(Executive Compensation)
September 1, 2005... Many Chinese firms are now in a high-growth stage in their development (see Table 1). While Chinese firms are growing rapidly, there is still a large gap between them and global firms, and the gross profit-making ability of the China 500 is...

The enemy within: risk minimisation: Mark Schaub of King & Wood, Shanghai, attempts to provide an overview of what practical actions can be taken in FIEs to improve their level of compliance and reduce the risk of regulatory or fraud related problems.(Corporate Governance)(Foreign-Invested Enterprise)
September 1, 2005... Many foreign investors fail to appreciate the importance of corporate governance in their Chinese subsidiaries. Properly implemented measures will reduce risks of fraud and non-compliance. Few foreigners that hold positions in Chinese...

Differentiation: the new game in long-term incentive programs: U.S. multinationals are overhauling their long-term incentive (LTI) programs for non-U.S. executives. Todd Lippincott and Eric (Mingang) Chai of Towers Perrin report on this departure from the practice of relying on LTI plan features that were uniform worldwide, with the same vehicle--stock options--and the same plan terms and award sizes.
September 1, 2005... A growing number of companies are shifting to customised approaches that were once globally consistent. These changes, which represent a substantial shift in long-term incentive policies from only a few years ago, are described in a Towers...

Terminating employees on probation: Graham Brown and Wei Xin of Jun Ze Jun Law Offices offer practical insights on termination in this instalment of China STAFF's new Labour Law Forum.(Labour Law Forum)
September 1, 2005... Q: I am responsible for HR in our company. A planned expansion in China has been postponed and I now have to advise the board about terminating two recently appointed executives. Due to the seniority of their positions, the probationary period...

Leadership development in China.(Brief article)
September 1, 2005... Few would argue with the fact that China is facing a leadership shortage. Leaders and their behavior have a tremendous impact on organisational culture and employee engagement levels, which in turn are fundamental in terms of achieving company...

English proficiency affects employability.(Hong Kong News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2005... A joint survey by online English school "Englishtown" and JobsDB.com, Yahoo and MSN found that English proficiency has a direct impact on employability and opportunities in Hong Kong. Of the 193 employers and 1,262 employees interviewed...

Exemption from mainland social security must be requested.(Brief article)
September 1, 2005... A mainland labour official has said the central government would consider exempting Hong Kong residents working on the mainland from contributing to the national social security fund if the Hong Kong government requested it. "We have...

Unemployment rate plateaus at 5.7%.(Brief article)
September 1, 2005... The number of gainfully employed has hit another record high of 3.37 million for August 2005, but the jobless rate . remained at 5.7%, the same level since May. The underemployment rate, measuring the number of people who cannot find more than...

Working class gets reprieve as China raises tax threshold.(Brief article)
September 1, 2005... Beijing's bureaucrats are finally reforming individual income tax laws to give respite to the salaried class which bears the heaviest tax burden, reported the South China Morning Post. The National People's Congress started to discuss a draft...

30,000 positions open in Shanghai.(Brief article)
September 1, 2005... A Shanghai employment agency is hoping to recruit up to 3,000 people in Hong Kong for jobs in China's financial capital over the next five years. According to the South China Morning Post, a third of the vacancies need to be filled urgently....

Chinese urban women workers reach 42.27 million.(Brief article)
September 1, 2005... The number of women workers in urban work units reached 42.27 million at the end of 2004, accounting for 38.1% of the national total, cited Xinhua Daily of a white paper on gender equality and women's development. "Over the past decade,...