Episode 85: Noel Ng | Goodwins Law Corporation
Patent Grace Period Considerations in Australia, Japan, South East Asia and the U.S.
High Speed in the FinTech Patenting Race
FCPA Compliance Report-Episode 371, James Koukios on International Anti-Corruption Developments from December 2017
One of the primary concerns for an organization that wants to start conducting business in a new country must be the laws of the specific country. Employment regulations vary widely from country to country and may be so...more
AT A GLANCE - Restrictive covenants are a common feature in an employment context, especially for senior employees with special trade connections or who have access to trade secrets....more
Since its formation in 2006, Singapore’s Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has slowly gained traction with employees and applicants alike as an avenue for redressing concerns regarding...more
The Singapore government recently accepted the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness’s final set of recommendations on key aspects of the proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) that is slated for passage in the...more
Please note, while we address some country-specific updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Alert contains information regarding global restrictions and closures as they stand today. Given the constantly changing...more
Effective November 1, 2021, an employer is required to notify the Ministry of Manpower if it retrenches even a single employee. Prior to November 1, the notification requirement was triggered only if five or more employees...more
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has proposed mandatory reference checks be carried out by all financial institutions and regulated entities....more
China - Exemptions for Official M Visa Invitation Letters Available for Some Nationalities - The Chinese authorities have recently announced that holders of valid residence permits who are nationals of certain countries...more
The Singapore government announced on 26 May its S$33 billion “Fortitude” budget, which will provide support for businesses and workers in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ...more
Workforce retrenchment in Singapore is expected to hit record numbers as a result of economic disruption from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Here is a brief guide for employers in Singapore as they consider retrenchment...more
As the lockdown measures adopted by governments around the world begin to take a toll on companies’ revenues, some employers are exploring their options to terminate employees. Singapore is one of the most employer-friendly...more
Australia - Changes to Working Holiday Maker Visas for Bushfire Recovery - The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has accepted the recommendation of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) to relax and broaden the...more
Australia - Wage Theft Investigations. The Australia Fair Work Ombudsman’s (FWO) 2018-2019 Annual Report, published by the government agency on October 20, 2019, found significant wage theft in the country over the past...more
Significant Changes to Employment Act, Effective April 1, 2019 - New Legislation Enacted - Significant changes to the Employment Act (Cap. 91)(the EA) came into force on April 1, 2019. The EA now applies to managers and...more
Parliament has approved proposed amendments to the Employment Act (EA), which took effect on April 1, 2019. The EA extends its coverage to managers and executives earning more than S$4,500 per month, thus expanding its...more
The Employment Act will be amended to cover all employees, including those in managerial and executive positions earning a basic monthly salary in excess of SGD4,500. Claims for wrongful dismissal will be extended to include...more
On October 2, 2018, a widely anticipated bill to amend the Singapore Employment Act ("EA") was introduced into parliament. The most significant proposed change is the expansion of the core provisions of the EA to all...more
Singapore is sitting on a demographic time bomb. According to UN projections, nearly half (47%) of the country’s population will be 65 years or older by 2050 and the median age is expected to grow from 40 years old in 2015 to...more
On 5 March 2018, the Ministry of Manpower ("MOM") announced sweeping changes to the Employment Act (Cap. 91) (the "EA"). Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say stated that "as professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) make up 56%...more
It is not uncommon for employers to require potential employees to provide references from their former employers. Indeed, such references may have a significant bearing on their chances of obtaining employment with a new...more
The observations of the Singapore Court of Appeal (“CA”) in a coda to their judgment in Phosagro Asia Pte Ltd v Piattachanine, Iouri [2016] 5 SLR 1052 (“Phosagro”) raise some practical considerations for employers to bear in...more
The Ministry of Manpower’s new requirement for mandatory retrenchment notifications applies to employers with 10 or more employees. Beginning 1 January 2017, Singapore employers that employ at least 10 employees and...more