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Can I “work from home” in another country? Rosie Moore, Colin Leckey, Catherine Hayes, Catherine Leung and Katy Lee write for Lawyer Monthly
30 July 2020COVID-19 is causing many employees to ask if they can work from ‘home’ for an extended period in an overseas country, for example, because it is their home nation, or their family is based there.
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The British National (Overseas) visa scheme and migration from Hong Kong to the UK
01 July 2020On 1 July 2020 the UK government announced its commitment to establish a new visa scheme for all British National (Overseas) persons and their dependants. This will provide a readily available opportunity for millions of residents of Hong Kong to move the UK far more easily than those routes currently open to them.
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A Hong Kong legal perspective: The cost of ignoring employees’ mental health - Kathryn Weaver speaks to Human Resources Online
01 July 2020Kathryn Weaver speaks to Human Resources Online on how employers can manage the mental wellbeing of their employees returning to the office in Hong Kong after months of lockdown isolation.
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15 Lewis Silkin employment lawyers listed in Who's Who Legal 2020
01 July 2020Lewis Silkin is pleased to announce that 15 lawyers are listed in this year’s edition of Who’s Who Legal 2020: Labour and Employment - more than double the number of UK lawyers listed from any other law firm.
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Managing your business and employees in Hong Kong during COVID-19
24 June 2020A conversation with Catherine Leung, a partner at Lewis Silkin Hong Kong, on the current employment landscape and how COVID-19 has affected employers in the city.
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Applying for Hong Kong’s Employment Support Scheme on 25 May? Are you liable for any penalties?
21 May 2020Hong Kong’s long-awaited Employment Support Scheme will be open for application starting Monday, 25 May 2020.
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Hong Kong’s Employment Support Scheme: further updates and expansions
12 May 2020On 12 May 2020, the Chief Executive announced further details on the newly implemented Employment Support Scheme as well as further expansions.
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Update on Hong Kong’s Employment Support Scheme (ESS) under the Anti-Epidemic Fund: what we know so far
19 April 2020On 18 April 2020, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council gave funding approval for the second round of the anti-epidemic fund. This HKD$137.5 billion fund is set to be spread out over a variety of industries, with one of the main aims being job retention and job creation.
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Coronavirus - Hong Kong Relief Measures under the Employment Protection Scheme
08 April 2020On 8th April 2020, the Chief Executive held a press conference announcing that the Hong Kong government is to roll out a HK$137 billion (approximately US$80 billion) relief package by implementing the Employment Protection Scheme to assist individuals and businesses to ease the financial difficulties arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Coronavirus: Legal considerations in Hong Kong around racism and work from home
21 February 2020Catherine Leung comments in Human Resources discussing travel bans and discrimination in the workplace in Hong Kong.
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Senior Japanese politician takes paternity leave in first for country
23 January 2020Shinjirō Koizumi, Japan’s environment minister, is taking two weeks’ paternity leave following the birth of his son on 17 January 2020. It is the first time a Japanese cabinet minister has taken paternity leave, or at least publically announced an intention to do so.
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Changes to Hong Kong tax concessions
07 November 2019The Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions) Bill 2019 was passed by the Legislative Council on 6 November 2019.
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Hong Kong hit by “city-wide strike” - how should employers respond?
04 August 2019A large number of employees in Hong Kong vowed to participate in a “city-wide strike” today (5 August 2019) in a further attempt to make their political demands heard. What should employers bear in mind from a legal and employee relations standpoint in considering their response?
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Hong Kong Government changes rules to allow same-sex couples to elect joint tax assessment
28 July 2019Following the Court of Final Appeal (“CFA”) decision in Leung Chun Kwong v Secretary for the Civil Service and Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Hong Kong’s Inland Revenue Department (“IRD”) has confirmed that it has now changed its internal rule book to allow same sex married couples to apply for joint tax assessment.
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Data security breaches - a tale of two airlines
24 July 2019Recent decisions by privacy regulators in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong have highlighted contrasting approaches towards data security breaches affecting customers of two major airlines.
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Hong Kong has taken another significant step towards equality of rights for same sex couples
23 July 2019The Court of Final Appeal (“CFA”), Hong Kong’s highest court, has ruled that it is unjustified indirect discrimination to refuse a male government employee access to spousal benefits for his husband and the ability to elect for joint assessment of salaries tax.
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Hong Kong protestors “in breach of data privacy law”
23 July 2019Revealing officials’ personal data in protest against the proposed “Extradition Bill” was a breach of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
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APAC Bulletin - May 2019
02 June 2019Welcome to the May 2019 edition of our APAC Bulletin covering the latest employment and immigration updates across the region.
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Hong Kong Government tightens laws on Occupational Retirement Schemes
20 May 2019A bill to amend the Occupational Retirement Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 426) (the “Ordinance”) was introduced to the Legislative Council on 17 April 2019. The bill aims to: ensure there is a genuine employment relationship for participants in an occupational retirement scheme; and enhance enforcement powers of the Mandatory Provident Fund (“MPF”) Schemes Authority which acts as the Registrar of Occupational Retirement Schemes.
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APAC Bulletin - January 2019
25 January 2019Welcome to the January 2019 edition of our APAC Bulletin covering the latest employment and immigration updates across the region.