Flexi-work norms for employees

Singapore: All employers in Singapore must fairly consider formal requests from employees for flexible work arrangements (FWAs) from December 1, 2024, under the new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests. The work group said this approach is in line with laws elsewhere, in countries such as the UK and Australia. The rules also adopt a broad definition of FWAs beyond the flexi-place arrangements, such as remote or hybrid working, popularised by the Covid-19 pandemic. Examples include staggered work hours, part-time work or job sharing. The guidelines will apply to all employees who have served their probation and only cover formal requests. The Straits Times

Fighting low-quality kitchenware

Thailand: The Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) will this year announce safe industrial standards for seven items of stainless steel kitchenware such as pots, pans, spatulas, spoons, forks, food trays, and lunch boxes to protect consumers from low-quality foreign products flooding the market. Industry Minister Pimphattra Wichaikul said the Thai market is flooded with low-quality stainless steel kitchenware, especially through online channels. Products like spoons and forks are in direct contact with food, so if they are contaminated with dangerous metals and metalloids, consumers will be at risk and suffer health issues in the long run, she said. Once the standards have been announced, importers will be required to seek permission from TISI before importing such products. The Nation

Middle East crisis hits Ceylon tea

Sri Lanka: The mounting tensions in the Middle East, that are becoming increasingly unpredictable, are likely to impact the Ceylon tea cuppa, the industry stakeholders said, especially since over 50 per cent of the island nation’s tea is exported to that region. While the issues stemming from the Red Sea attack have already impacted the industry with longer delivery time and higher freight costs, new issues such as closure of airspace among others could add to the woes. “Our worry and deep concern are that going forward, what will happen to the sea routes? This can drastically affect the prices and the local livelihoods of people who depend on tea,” they said. Daily Mirror

Quang Binh, the land of 500 caves

Vietnam: Pham Hong Thai, director of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, has announced that an expedition team discovered 22 caves in Minh Hoa and Tuyen Hoa districts during a recent survey, and an additional three caves, combining for a total length of 3,550 metres. With the recent discovery of 22 more caves, the central province of Quang Binh, renowned as Vietnam’s cave kingdom, now boasts of more than 500 caves, with about 40 open for tourism purposes. Among the most sought-after are caves like Phong Nha, Paradise and Son Doong. The last one holds the distinction of being the largest natural cave in the world. VN EXpress

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