Can stress kill us? That was the most important question many participants at the 33rd HR Sharing were wondering about. Professional Counsellor Joyce Ling, was our anchor speaker at the 33rd HR sharing event. According to Joyce, stress can come from anywhere. An important job interview, a demanding boss and financial issues may put one under stress. Joyce highlighted that stress is a survival mechanism and that it is only a temporary stage, until the sense of danger or unease is over. The corporate world is a stressful environment, but socializing and enough of exercise can help manage stress. These points were highlighted in a video that was played for the HR audience. Stress is here to stay, and each individual will have to manager his or her own stress level. Corporations can seek the help of Professional Counsellors to ensure that mental health is also a priority for its employees. Mental health does have an impact on productivity and ultimately, how the employee performs in his job. Organizations that need help in providing counseling can approach HRmatters21 for assistance.
Kevin Lee, HRmatters21 expert in tax matters spoke about taxation in general. Kevin provided the various ways of interpreting financial statements. It was indeed a useful sharing as HR practitioners who are not too familiar with financial statements; begin to understand that there are indeed differences in definition, which is a surprise to many HR professionals, as most are likely….to be unfamiliar in financial matters.
A familiar face at all HR Sharing, Martin Gabriel, Senior HR Consultant spoke about the possible changes to the Employment Act. One of the issues discussed was the expanded scope of coverage, which will see more employees being protected by the Employment Act. Participants discussed ways to keep cost manageable as one of the amendments to the Act is the salary threshold of those who can enjoy protection related to working hours including overtime pay will go up, from the current $2,000 to $2,500. But there will be a cap on the amount of overtime rate payable at the salary level of $2,250, to help employers manage costs. This new amendment would be effective from 1st Jan 2014.
Stephanie Lim, a HR Executive rightly said that companies should be planning now, and not procrastinate any longer. “We have to act now or we will be struggling with increased cost” said Stephanie.
By Michelle Yeo
