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Common hiring assumptions continue to limit women’s career progression before it even begins. For organisations serious about building stronger leadership pipelines, the real opportunity starts much earlier: in how talent is identified, assessed, and recognised. | Written by Magdolin Boukhary Magdolin Boukhary, Mentor, Saudi Leadership Society Most organisations say they want to hire and promote more women into leadership. The intent is genuine, the diversity statements are p

The law is not in force yet, but the preparation window is now. Employers who wait until 2027 will be building under pressure. | Written by Tripti Mehta Singapore has passed its first legally binding law against workplace discrimination. The Workplace Fairness Act (WFA), enacted in two parts across 2025, converts what were previously voluntary employment guidelines into enforceable legal obligations with a grievance process, a dispute resolution pathway, and real financial pe

As companies race to cut costs in the name of AI, many are discovering an uncomfortable truth: automation without thoughtful workforce design creates more disruption than value. The issue isn’t AI itself, it’s how leaders are choosing to implement it. | Written by Preethy Suresh The headlines have been relentless. IBM announced roughly 8,000 job cuts in 2024, with HR functions specifically named as targets for AI replacement. Salesforce eliminated 4,000 customer support roles

The grace period ends June 30. Employers who have not yet adjusted Emirati salaries face permit suspensions and loss of Emiratisation credit from July 1. | Written by Tripti Mehta The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced an increase in the minimum wage for Emiratis employed in the private sector to AED 6,000 per month, effective January 1, 2026, with establishments that employed Emiratis before that date given until June 30, 2026 to adjust salaries

With Phase 3 of the Kingdom's landmark labour reform weeks away, employers with indefinite-term workers must act now or risk legal exposure. | Written by Tripti Mehta Saudi Arabia's Unified Employment Contract Initiative enters its third and final phase on August 6, 2026, the date by which all indefinite or open-ended employment contracts must be migrated to the official template and documented on the Qiwa platform. The initiative, led jointly by the Ministry of Human Resourc

Inaugural Singapore & Malaysia edition draws over 200 leaders, 80+ organisations, and 25+ categories in a celebration of workplace excellence. | Written by Riya Malhotra The Employee Happiness Awards Singapore 2026, organised by Eventyst Global, made a powerful debut as the platform's inaugural edition in Singapore. Held on 10th April at the prestigious Shangri-La Singapore, the gala evening brought together more than 200 distinguished guests for an occasion that was as celeb

A last-minute deal kept 48,000 Samsung workers on the floor on 21 May. Four days later, the union is fracturing over who got what, and HR leaders across the region are watching a new lesson unfold in real time. | Written by Riya Malhotra There's a particular kind of silence that descends on a workplace when trust has finally run out. Last week, Samsung was hours away from that silence breaking, loudly, across 48,000 workers and 18 days of stopped production. It didn't break.

A new nursery mandate, expanded parental leave, and some of the Gulf's most optimistic workers signal that Saudi Arabia is serious about employee experience as a competitive priority. | Written by Tripti Mehta Saudi Arabia's Cabinet has directed both public and private sector employers to establish workplace nurseries, in a move designed to support working mothers and advance early childhood development goals under Vision 2030. Authorities have also been tasked with addressin

As organisations race to integrate agentic AI into the workplace, experts are warning that the real challenge is no longer technological, it is organisational. | Written by Riya Malhotra On International HR Day, workforce and AI transformation leaders are urging businesses to move beyond viewing AI solely as a productivity tool and instead focus on the strategic workforce decisions that will define whether the technology creates long-term value or long-term disruption. With A

As the workplace evolves, HR is no longer confined to policies and processes. In this column, Sultana Al Amri explores how modern people leaders are becoming culture architects, balancing empathy with accountability while designing environments where employees can thrive sustainably. | Written by Sultana Al Amri The role of HR has transformed dramatically over the past decade. What was once primarily an operational function focused on policies, compliance, and administration

We often think of workplace happiness as something that can be built through policies, programmes, or perks. But the truth is, most people don’t remember those. They remember moments. | Written by Riya Malhotra A manager who helped them find clarity when things felt overwhelming. A team that stepped in without hesitation when something personal came up. A conversation that turned a setback into a chance to improve. These moments are easy to overlook because they don’t feel ex

LinkedIn and Walmart both made cuts in May 2026 despite strong business performance, exposing a corporate workforce pattern that HR leaders can no longer treat as isolated news. | Written by Tripti Mehta The platform built for professional networking is now asking its own people to network their way to new jobs. LinkedIn, a subsidiary of Microsoft, announced on May 13, 2026 that it is cutting approximately 5% of its global workforce, around 900 positions, as part of an organi

Managers shape more than performance; they shape emotional climate. In her second column for Employee Happiness Daily, Dr. Louise Lambert explores how emotional contagion influences team behaviour, decision-making, and psychological safety, and why the way leaders show up matters more than they realise. | Written by Dr. Louise Lambert Most managers believe they are paid to manage performance. Targets, delivery, quality, timelines. And they are. But there is something else the

| Written by Riya Malhotra Singapore’s workforce is rapidly adapting to change, but hiring systems are struggling to keep pace, according to new research from Indeed. The findings highlight a growing disconnect between employee priorities and employer assumptions. While 59% of employees cite salary, stability, and work-life balance as critical when evaluating roles, employers significantly underestimate these factors, placing them below 30%. Entry-level roles are emerging as

| Written by Riya Malhotra Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded in HR functions across Southeast Asia, but organisations are struggling to scale its impact, according to a new study by ETHRWorld Southeast Asia & SAP SuccessFactors. The report finds that 75% of organisations are already using AI in HR, signalling a clear shift from experimentation to mainstream adoption. At the same time, 65% expect AI budgets to increase in 2026, reflecting its growing role as

| Written by Riya Malhotra The latest World Happiness Report places Singapore at 36 th and Malaysia at 71 st globally, offering a closer look at how wellbeing is shaping workforce expectations across both markets. While Nordic countries continue to lead the rankings, the positions of Singapore and Malaysia highlight a more nuanced reality in Southeast Asia. Both markets continue to perform economically, yet the rankings suggest that broader factors influencing life satisfac

| Written by Riya Malhotra A new global study by Intellect points to the rise of “job-hugging,” a trend where employees are choosing to stay in their roles for stability, even as engagement levels lag behind improvements in productivity and wellbeing. According to the latest Workplace Wellbeing 360 Report, organisations are seeing encouraging gains. Mental wellbeing scores recorded their strongest year-on-year increase, alongside a steady rise in productivity. However, employ

In a world shaped by speed, AI, and constant change, Nitin Goil, Founder, Restoration Labs, reflects on why restoring trust, dignity, and human connection is becoming the real measure of leadership and performance. | April 2026 Edition The Happiness Perspective Toxicity often begins with silence, not conflict Culture is shaped in everyday behaviours, not big initiatives AI must enhance transparency, not reduce it Leadership courage builds dignity and trust Engagement must le

Ku Sim Ling, popularly known as AuntyHR™, is an HR influencer, former Corporate Services Director, and industry voice with 20+ years of experience, making workplace topics engaging, accessible, and refreshingly honest. | April 2026 Edition Happiness Takeaways At a Glance Culture lives beyond policies, in everyday human behaviour Not every issue requires intervention; judgement matters Influence often works better than authority in leadership challenges Early signs of disengag

Elevision Media’s WOW Workplaces Gold Certification is not just a recognition, it is a reflection of a workplace where culture, leadership, and employee experience come together to create an environment people genuinely want to be part of. | April 2026 Edition In today’s evolving world of work, becoming an employer of choice is no longer about policies on paper or isolated initiatives. It is about building a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and inspired, consist