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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.
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Hong Kong increases statutory paternity leave with effect from today
18 January 2019Hong Kong male employees will be entitled to five days’ paid paternity leave for each child born on or after today, 18 January 2019, increasing from the current entitlement to three days’ leave.
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NEW ICO guidance on “Data protection if there’s no Brexit deal”
18 December 2018With uncertainty about Brexit continuing to dominate the headlines, the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) has released some useful and practical guidance on key data protection issues if there is no Brexit deal.
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Sports Q&A – Privilege in internal investigations
18 December 2018We sometimes need to conduct internal investigations, which can often relate to quite sensitive matters (which we would prefer not to be made public). However, I’ve heard that the content of these investigations is not always privileged. How does privilege work in internal investigations and do you have any tips about how to preserve it?
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How should hospitality employers deal with third-party harassment at Christmas parties?
17 December 2018“Christmas time is here by golly; disapproval would be folly; Deck the halls with hunks of holly, fill the cup and don’t say when”, as the legendary American satirist Tom Lehrer once sang. But Christmas party season can be a mixed blessing. The day after the office party, you will find many HR managers bracing themselves to hear what happened the night before…
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Preventing illegal working: employers able to rely on online right to work checks from 28 January 2019
14 December 2018In some circumstances employers will be able to use the Home Office Right to Work Checking Service available on GOV.UK from 28 January 2019 to obtain a statutory excuse against payment of a civil penalty for employing an illegal worker, without having also to check the individual’s physical documents.
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Ask about… Retail, Fashion & Hospitality
13 December 2018Many of our clients in the retail, fashion and hospitality sector face similar HR issues. Each month one of the members of our team will identify an issue, ask how you would deal with it and provide our advice. This month we asked Anna...
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The new visa route for recognised or emerging leaders in architecture: what does this mean for the architectural sector?
13 December 2018The Government has announced a new immigration category for overseas recognised or emerging leaders in architecture that has the potential to ease access to jobs in the UK. With Brexit looming on the horizon, this news will provide some much needed reassurance that the UK’s Architecture sector will still be able to attract the best global talent over the coming years. However the new measures are limited in their scope and are unlikely to plug the gap that will be left once freedom of movement for EU workers comes to an end.
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Can / should someone who is not a director be invited to join a committee of the board?
13 December 2018Even if a company’s articles of association permit a committee of the board of directors of a company to comprise or include persons who are not directors, is it sensible for such a committee to be appointed? Are there benefits? This article explores this question.
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Disclosure Pilot Scheme already making an impact as High Court orders list of “issues for disclosure”
12 December 2018The mandatory Disclosure Pilot Scheme may not start in the Business and Property Courts of England and Wales (“BPCs”) until 1 January 2019, but it seems the courts are already taking the new rules into account. In one reported case, the High Court has ordered a separate “list of issues for disclosure”, which will have to be jointly completed by the parties as part of the new Disclosure Review Document required under the Pilot Scheme.
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Tier 1 (Investor) applications are still being accepted but changes to the Immigration Rules have been announced
12 December 2018The Home Office has confirmed to the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association on 11 December 2018 that the Tier 1 (Investor) route currently remains open but that a further announcement on this will be made in due course. The correspondence also confirms that any suspension of the route will be effected through a Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules. This follows reporting by various news outlets including the Times and The Guardian on Thursday last week that the route was to be suspended as of the end of that day.