Friday, June 22, 2007

The company's right to terminate the employment contract

1. In the following cases, the company is entitled to terminate the employment contract unilaterally without prior notice to the employee:

a) the employee is proved not up to the requirements for recruitment during the probationary period(usually the probationary period is 3 months);

b) the employee seriously violates the discipline or regulations of the company;

c) the employee causes great losses to the company due to his/her dereliction of duty or engagement in malpractice for selfish ends;

d) the employee is facing investigation by the police for criminal action.

2. In the following cases, the company can terminate the employment contract but a written notice shall be given to the employee 30 days in advance:-

a) after the completion of medical treatment for illness or non work-related injury, the employee is unable to take up his/her original work or any new job assigned by the company,

b) the employee is unqualified for the work assigned and continue this status even after he/she receives training or adjustment to other position;

c) no agreement on modification of the employment contract can be reached between the company and the employee when the conditions taken as the basis for the conclusion of the employment contract have greatly changed so that the original employment contract can no longer be carried out.

d) during the period of statutory consolidation when the company comes to the brink of bankruptcy or runs into difficulties in production and management, and if reduction of its personnel becomes really necessary, the company may make such reduction after it has explained the situation to the trade union or all of its staff and workers 30 days in advance, solicited opinions from them and reported to the labour administrative department.

3. Both the company and the employee can terminate the employment contract if they reach an agreement.

In above-mentioned 2 and 3, the company is liable to pay compensation to the employee when the employment contract is terminated.

Salary for sick leave

When an employee needs to have a sick leave, he/she shall apply with the company with the doctor's note and get approval from the company. Sick leave term shall not include holiday. In case the sick leave term is within 6 months, the company shall pay the salary for sick leave as follows:-

1. If the employee's working term in the company is less than 2 years, the employee is entitled to 60% of the Salary;

2. If the working term in the company is above 2 years (including 2 years) but less than 4 years, the employee is entitled to 70% of the Salary;

3. If the working term in the company is above 4 years (including 4 years) but less than 6 years, the employee is entitled to 80% of the Salary;

4If the working term in the company is above 6 years (including 6 years) but less than 8 years, the employee is entitled to 90% of the Salary;

5.If the working term in the company is above 8 years (including 8 years), the employee is entitled to 100% of the Salary.

In case the sick leave term is above 6 months, the company shall also pay illness relief fee.

The illness relief fee shall be calculated as follows:-

1.If the working term in the company is less than 1 years, the illness relief fee shall be 40% of the Salary;

2.If the working term in the company is above 1 years (including 1 year) but less than 3 years, the illness relief fee shall be 50% of the Salary;

3.If the working term in the company is above 3 years(including 3 years), the illness relief fee shall be 60% of the Salary.

The Salary herein refers to 70% of the payment the employee receives from the company in normal condition.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

China's Draft Employment Contract Law—Third Deliberation

An Employment Contract Law is scheduled for inclusion in the 2007 legislative agenda. As the administrative authority responsible for labor and social security related issues in China, the State Council appointed Ministry of Labor and Social Security drew up and studied the draft Employment Contract Law with the State Council in late 2006.From April 24 to April 27, the Standing Committee of National People's Congress ("NPC") completed the third deliberation of the draft Labor Contract Law.The New Employment Contract Law is expected to be published around June 2007.

The third deliberation of the Employment Contract Law Draft raised new issues. However, since the Employment Contract Law is still in the drafting stage, none of its provisions are confirmed by the law.As such, any discussion of the Employment Contract Law Draft ("the Draft") should be conducted with the understanding that the Draft has not been finalized.

1. Establishment Procedures for an Employer's Internal Rules

The Draft clarifies that the employer shall negotiate with employees or the employee representatives' congress and shall bring forward schemes and opinions to stipulate the internal rules on an equal basis involving the following issues: remuneration, working hours, leave and holidays, labor security and sanitation, insurance and benefits, vocational training, labor discipline, etc.

2. Conclusion of Labor Contract in Written Form

The Draft prescribes that where the employer has not signed the labor contract in written form with employees, the labor contract in written form shall be concluded within one month of establishing the labor relationship, or else the employer shall pay to the employee two times of the wages to which the employee is entitled.

3. Non-fixed-term Contract

The Draft requires the employer to enter into a non-fixed-term labor contract with the employee after the employer twice consecutively executes the fixed-term labor contract with such employee.

4. Retrenchment

The Draft stipulates that the employer may layoff redundant employees, subject to mandatory procedures, under the following circumstances: (1) where the employer is restructured in accordance with laws and regulation on the bankruptcy of enterprises; (2) where serious difficulties occur to the production and management of the employer; (3) where the employer is relocated for prevention of pollution; and (4) where the employer engages in change of products line, technical renovation, or change of business model, and the employer still needs to layoff redundant employees after the amendment to the original employment contract.

5. Compensation

The Draft clarifies the compensation shall equal the employee's monthly remuneration multiplied by the the length of service year and a service year of less than one year will be counted as one year.Further, it stipulates the maximum amount shall be three times the city average salary with a 12 month cap.It is required for compensation when the employer would not renew the labor contract with the employee at the expiration date.

6. Labor Dispatch

The Draft clarifies that the obligations for the labor dispatching enterprise are: (1) entering into labor dispatching agreement with the real employer; and (2) notifying the dispatched employee the content of the labor dispatching agreement.In addition, the dispatched employee shall have the right to organize or join in the trade union in the dispatching enterprise or the real employing enterprise.

7. Non-competition

The non-competition clause shall apply to senior management, senior technical staff and other staff familiar with the business secrets of the employer.The non-competition period shall be limited to the maximum of two years.

8. Trade Union

The current draft Labor Contract Law has reinforced the role of labor union in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests on employees in the following areas: (1) formulating corporate rules and bylaws; (2) bargaining on the collective contract; (3) providing opinion on mass layoffs; and (4) providing opinion on the termination of a labor contract.

Conclusion

As embodied in this Draft, the forthcoming Labor Contract Law may cause extensive changes to labor relations.Consequently, corporate human resources management must adapt to the requirements of the new law.The current letters of appointment, labor contracts, internal labor rules, and various other documents shall be amended in order to satisfy the requirements of the Labor Contract Law.