Employment Matters

Welcome to the first episode of Workplace Matters: Asia Pacific, a new podcast hosted by the Asia Pacific Next Gen members of the Employment Law Alliance (ELA). Each episode puts one workplace question to employment law experts across the region — and this season's focus is Workplace Discrimination and Harassment.Up first: what should employers do when a sexual harassment complaint is reported anonymously? Moderator Parvathy Tharamel (email) (Trilegal, India) is joined by Marianne Miguel (email) (SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan, Philippines) and Stephanie Yip (email) (Deacons, Hong Kong) to compare how three very different legal frameworks answer that question — from India's statutory Internal Committee process, to preliminary fact-finding under Philippine law, to Hong Kong's flexible, practical approach. One shared takeaway: an anonymous complaint shouldn't be ignored, but anonymity never removes the need for a fair process.Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

What does the future of DEI in higher education look like under Title VI? Tune in for a fast-paced, thirty-minute briefing on Title VI discrimination claims in higher education — where the law stands, how the administration is enforcing it, and what colleges and universities should do now.Host: Marcia DePaula (email) (Steptoe & Johnson PLLC / Western Pennsylvania)Guest Speakers: Derek Ishikawa (email) (Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP / California) & Mica McKinney (email) (Ray Quinney & Nebeker P.C. / Utah)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

Tune in to our fourth episode of our ELA Podcast Series on the Pay Transparency Directive, where we speak with leading employment lawyers across Europe about when and how the EU Pay Transparency Directive is being implemented in their country and what it really means for employers on the ground.We hope today’s discussion will help you understand the status of Pay Transparency legislation in Greece, what you should be doing now and how approaches to implementation are shaping up across Europe.Host: Aoife Brady (email) (Travers Smith LLP / England & Wales)Guest Speaker: Kelly Papadaki (email) (Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm / Greece)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

Angola has replaced its 2013 gender equality framework with a new National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, approved by Presidential Decree No. 157/26 and in force since 1 September 2026. Listen in as we explain what the policy says, who it binds, and what employers in Angola should be doing now.Host: Nuno Gouveia (email) (Miranda Alliance)Guest Speaker: Nádia Ferreira (email) (Miranda Alliance)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

On this episode we unpack the EEOC's newly adopted Strategic Plan for FY 2026–2030 and the National Enforcement Plan for FY 2025–2029. Listen in as we explain the shift away from monetary benchmarks toward "targeted equitable relief," the new 10-person definition of systemic investigations, and the 90% litigation success goal - plus 15-day position statement deadlines, the retreat from disparate-impact litigation, and the new priorities, from DEI-related practices and religious liberty to protecting American workers. The episode closes with concrete steps for employers: privileged legal audits of DEI, recruiting, and hiring practices, and federal-contractor certifications under Executive Orders 14173 and 14398.Host: Tara Stingley (email) (Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, LLP)Guest Speaker: Nita Beecher (email) (Fortney Scott, LLC / District of Columbia)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

Listen in as we break down hot topics in U.S. immigration law — the H-1B fee fight and Project Firewall, the end of duration-of-status, CPT and OPT changes, consular updates, and a new enforcement climate employers can't ignore.Recorded on August 27, 2026.Host: Susan Deniker (email) (Steptoe & Johnson PLLC / West Virginia)Guest Speakers: Melanie Keeney (email) (Tueth Keeney Cooper Mohan Jackstadt P.C. / Missouri - Eastern) & Chris Thomas (email) (Holland & Hart LLP / Colorado)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

Three recent Singapore Employment Claims Tribunal decisions offer important lessons for employers across Asia on probationary dismissals, termination without stated reasons, and the treatment of employees returning from serious illness. In this ELA podcast, employment law practitioners discuss the Tribunal’s findings in JIW v JIX, JJF v JJG, and JJH v JJI, including the importance of clearly communicated performance standards, contemporaneous documentation, and individualized workplace accommodations. The discussion also considers how these developments compare with the legal framework and practical considerations for employers in Thailand.Host: Kulnisha Srimontien (email) (Price Sanond Limited / Thailand)Guest Speaker: Qi-Yang Chang (email) (WongPartnership / Singapore)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

In this episode, we explore the changing immigration compliance landscape in the US, Qatar and the UK. Chris Thomas of Holland & Hart and Emma Higham of Clyde & Co join us to discuss employer obligations, enforcement trends, recent regulatory changes and the key risks businesses need to consider when moving talent and business visitors across borders.Host: Elaine McIlroy (email) (Brodies LLP / Scotland)Guest Speakers: Chris Thomas (email) (Holland & Hart LLP / Colorado) & Emma Higham (email) (Clyde & Co / Qatar)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

Tune in to our third episode of our ELA Podcast Series on the Pay Transparency Directive, where we speak with leading employment lawyers across Europe about when and how the EU Pay Transparency Directive is being implemented in their country and what it really means for employers on the ground.We hope today’s discussion will help you understand the status of Pay Transparency legislation in Lithuania, what you should be doing now and how approaches to implementation are shaping up across Europe.Host: Aoife Brady (email) (Travers Smith LLP / England & Wales)Guest Speaker: Kamilė Skrupskytė (email) (Ellex Valiunas LLP / Lithuania)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs. 

Mexico's proposed workweek reduction marks one of the most significant labor law developments in recent years. In this episode, we examine the key changes under the reform, discuss whether additional legislative developments are expected, and explore the practical challenges HR and labor relations teams may face as they prepare for implementation. Host: Alexandra Aguilar Garcia (email) (BLP / Costa Rica)Guest Speaker: Samuel Flores (email) (Santamarina + Steta, S.C. / Mexico)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs.