Just as the glimmer of hope of easing into the relaxation of travel restrictions finally appear, the emergence of the new variant of Covid-19 is clamping on that dream. With rising concerns of this new variant also known as Omicron, countries are circling around the conversation of travel restrictions extremely cautiously.

Effective from 29 November 2021, Singapore has expanded its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) agreements to 18 countries. This means that fully-vaccinated travellers can travel to the VTL destinations without the need to quarantine at either countries upon arrival. These countries are Germany, France, Denmark, Brunei, Italy, United Kingdom, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Spain, USA, Canada, Australia, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden.

However, with the news of the Omicron variant spreading, this has disrupted some of these existing VTL agreements and even deferred some of the upcoming ones, such as the VTL arrangements with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arabs Emirates. From 6 December 2021, all travellers entering Singapore through the VTLs will have to take Covid-19 tests daily for a week upon arrival. This is on top of the current requirements, which are the swabs for a pre-departure test, an on-arrival polymerase chain reaction test (PCR test), as well as supervised antigen rapid tests (ARTs) on day 3 and day 7 of their visit.

Not only looking at leisure travelling, the Singapore Government released an immediate mandate on 4 December 2021 that employers of S Pass and work permit holders in construction, marine shipyard as well as process sectors will not be allowed to make new applications for their employees to enter the country via the VTL. This applies to employers of other dormitory-bound work pass holders as well.

Such workers can only enter Singapore via the ongoing initiatives specific towards construction, marine shipyard and process sectors or the Work Pass Holder General Lane for all other work pass holders where programmes with upstream testing and isolation in the source country exist.

Malaysians and female work pass holders however, will still be able to enter Singapore via the VTL but will be subjected to the prevailing health protocols. This is due to the reason that these individuals do not generally reside in dormitory environments.

Needless to say, these disruptions towards bringing in migrant workers continue to significantly contribute to the manpower crunch in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors. Since end-2019 when Covid-19 became rampant globally, the number of work permit holders in these sectors in Singapore has declined by more than 15%.

It is clear that the battle is not won yet, thus it is necessary to take swift actions and tighten up efforts so as to stay in control of the situation. After all, prevention is better than cure, and trudging forward slowly is better than nothing.

References:

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/dormitory-bound-work-pass-holders-cannot-enter-singapore-via-vtl-mom

https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/vtl/requirements-and-process

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/vtl-travellers-covid-19-testing-daily-7-days-singapore-omicron-variant-2356791

Despite the pandemic attacking in waves with variants like Delta spreading around, Hong Kong’s economy has been improving.

In a poll done in September, more than 400 companies have revealed that there would be an increase of 1.7% in pay in 2022, while more than ⅓ of the companies have plans to expand their businesses by hiring more people.

Although the increase in wages may not be as great as compared to other Asian countries like Singapore and Korea, it is still faring better than many countries outside of Asia, who are more heavily disrupted by supply-chain issues.

In addition, unemployment rates between August to October have fallen by 4.3%, with sectors like F&B, and arts and entertainment making gradual recoveries.

As for the economy, retail sales have been growing for the ninth-month straight, a positive trend that would hopefully stay positive. This is partially due to the digital vouchers the government had issued in order to boost domestic spending within the economy.

Subsequently, Hong Kong’s GDP is also forecasted to grow by 6.4% for the full year, while inflation would likely remain in check in contrast to other countries outside of Asia, despite rising import costs.

Overall, even with the slow growth in improvement, things seem to be heading upwards for Hong Kong as the world moves into endemic living. 

References:

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3157995/hong-kong-workers-set-17-cent-pay-rise-2022

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3155863/hong-kong-economy-grows-54-cent-third-quarter

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/hong-kong-retail-sales-rise-for-9th-month-as-stimulus-lends-support

Long story short, the rise of neoliberalism as an ideology has led to the rise of the gig economy that we know of today. But what is the gig economy about? What is it at its very core? And more importantly, is this a sustainable form of work, here to stay in the long run? 

The rapid developments in digital communication have led to companies being ran entirely on middle-man, third-party platforms. When we talk about the gig economy, the images of food delivery workers, freelancers and more come to mind. Although freelancers have always existed before this, the pandemic has further accelerated the growth of jobs in the gig economy, with many people taking up jobs delivering food. 

Gig work can be classified according to two factors: skill level and location, thus four types overall: high skill + remote work, high skill + local work, low skill + remote work, and low skill + local work, according to Vallas & Schor. The most popular gig jobs these days, such as being a food delivery driver, is “low skill + local work”, thus many reasons why many have taken up these jobs. 

For single mothers or married women with children, they require greater flexibility in working schedules as they still have to balance childcare/caregiving, with most working women in Singapore generally having to struggle with both.  

For people with lower education, they usually do not have skills applicable for work of higher pay such as white-collar work, and to learn those skills required along with certification to deem them qualified require large amounts of money, which is what they do not have. They are thus restricted to lower paying, lower barriers to entry jobs.  

Racial and ethnic minorities do suffer in finding work in Singapore as well. In lieu of the above, gig work seems tempting: it offers a flexible schedule, it has generally lower barriers to entry, and anyone can be a Grabfood rider regardless of their race and ethnicity. The ubiquity of the internet on the phone allows anyone to join, again emphasising lower barriers to entry. 

It seems to paint a beautiful outlook for people attempting to earn more money, but is gig work as good as it seems? 

The truth about gig work and the gig economy is that it is precarious. Workers receive less legal benefits and rights from employers, as they are not classified as regular employees in the eyes of the law, rather, they are classified as “independent contractors”. In cases of countries like the US, the fight to redefine the rights the gig workers are entitled to – especially in states more focused on the protection of labour rights – emphasises the vulnerability that the workers experience. Rights and benefits a regular employee receives include paid sick leave (though very limited in number), company-sponsored skills upgrading, health insurance, and in Singapore’s case, the Central Provident Fund (CPF). They are also not protected from suddenly losing their jobs, and are very susceptible to changes in demands. For example, during Circuit Breaker last year, Grab drivers who ferry people saw a drop in their business as people avoided leaving the house as much as possible. Still, while one could point out that at the very same time food delivery services (which engage mostly gig workers) flourished at that time, one should also note that this is at an expense to their health, as they are at higher risk of being exposed to an infected person as compared to white collars who get to work entirely from home. 

There is also the fact that supply far outweighs demand in labour for the gig economy — negotiation for better prices and conditions is hard when there are always people too happy to take your place if you do not offer a lower rate, or work for lower pay, thus resulting in a downward pressure spiral on wages. 

In the long run, the lack of career progression coupled with the lack of safety nets and job security do not bode well for the future. For workers with low education levels, they lack opportunities to upgrade their skills through gig work, nor do they have companies that will provide the avenue to do so. As such, though they may be able to afford slightly nicer meals every once in a while, they are stuck doing the same low level gig work again and again. 

On the companies’ side, companies like Grab are still making losses, despite the massive volume of transactions the platform handles daily, be it through food delivery or riding services. It is still making a net loss of several hundred million, even at this stage where it’s practically a household name. Even internationally-known companies in the states like Lyft are also making losses — so really, how long can the gig economy bubble last?  

Overall, while the gig economy may be flourishing as of now, it is hard to say that this form of work will remain sustainable and profitable for both sides in the long run. 

References:  

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/grab-q2-2021-results-grabkitchen-deliveries-payments-2175591

https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/business/famous-companies-arent-profitable/

Covid-19 has definitely revolutionized the way we know work to be; from meetings to Zoom calls, from an office job to working from home, and so many more transformations that we have to keep ourselves on our toes to adapt to. This disruption has forced the world to be on a desperate lookout for solutions that can allow businesses to continue being sustainable and productive through this fight for a new normal. 

To keep workforces engaged through the screens, companies have taken to innovative measures in order to boost the morale of their employees and manage the sluggish effects of working from home. Gamification in HR is the new player in town. In essence, gamification in businesses mean employing game like tools to strategically aggregate certain business processes. 

Today, gamification strategies are now employed in many aspects of a business, be it externally like attracting clients, or even internally within the talent management scene. One of the most common gamifications seen in businesses are applied in their training and re-skilling processes. Through such interactive measures like employing challenges, point systems, and luring rewards, this fun element introduced into a supposedly mundane task can prove to reap great metrics like increased participation rates, greater happiness, ultimately boosting the productivity of the employee.  

In recruitment, there are businesses who utilize gamification strategies to engage candidates and assess their competency through digital game tools. Companies like Google and Unilever have developed a system that incorporates games into the recruitment process. Instead of going through piles of resumes and structured interviews, such methods can break away from the conventional routine and introduce an unbiased system that can genuinely access candidates’ abilities and thought process. 

Undoubtedly, such digital strategies will still be unable to replace that human connection and engagement that this pandemic has starved businesses of. However, such innovations will pave the way towards an engaged workforce during such disconnected times. Businesses should strive towards understanding that proactive measures should be taken to help their employees get through these times instead of through any negative reinforcements.  

References: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/07/03/combining-gamification-and-human-resources-during-a-pandemic/?sh=6a92c88d577b

Themed “Malaysian Family, Prosperous and Peaceful”, Malaysia’s Budget 2022 reflects an inclusive approach to focus on economic recovery and building national resilience. It is said to be in line with the policies and strategies outlined in the 12^th Malaysia Plan, with RM233.5 billion allocated for operating expenditure, RM75.6 billion for development and RM23 billion to the country’s Covid-19 fund. 

With that, the nation’s recovery strategy is laser focused on creating job opportunities and providing extra support in promoting employment. Acknowledging the severe impact of Covid-19, an allocation of RM2 billion will be set aside under the Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia initiative. This is to incentivize the hiring of those unemployed, as well as providing wage subsidies for employers who hire targeted groups of Malaysians.  

Specifically, for employers who hire Malaysians that have not been actively employed in jobs with a salary of RM1500 and above, they can receive wage subsidies of up to 20 percent of the monthly salary for the first 6 months. Subsequently, an additional 30 percent wage subsidy will be presented for another 6 months.  

For employers who provide employment opportunities for Malaysians categorized as disabled or are ex-convicts, employers will receive an additional 10% in wage subsidies of the monthly salary for jobs with a salary of RM1200 and above. Another notable positive move is extending this initiative to women who have been unemployed for more than 365 days, single mothers and housewives. All these efforts are to boost Malaysia’s employment opportunities for their citizens. Under the Jarmin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia initiative, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz announced that approximately 600,000 job opportunities will be created in the process. 

With this hiring initiative, the Malaysia Budget 2022 aims to help Malaysian citizens in the transition back into the workforce. At the same time, this assists businesses in their search for talent.  

References: 

https://www.pwc.com/my/en/issues/budget2022.html

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/10/740880/600000-jobs-under-jaminkerja-initiative-nsttv