Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Pandemics through the Ages: One more wake-up call unheeded?
Christopher Bruton, Published on 28/05/2020
» Pandemics have been an endemic feature of human history throughout the passage of time. They have killed off more people than wars and famines.
The World Cup Season Approaches: testing times for work/life balance
Christopher Bruton, Published on 11/06/2018
» Between 14 June and 15 July, the 2018 World Cup Season will take place at 12 stadium locations in Russia, with a total of 64 matches between 32 national teams. The series of matches will be watched by between 50,000 and 80,000 stadium attendees per match, depending on location capacity. But judging by past experience, total world-wide viewing could exceed 3 billion people, with over one billion viewers for the World Cup final match on 15 July in Moscow.
Training or enslavement? Making internship ethical
Christopher Bruton, Published on 02/04/2018
» "Unpaid, unadvertised, unfair" is how the UK's Sutton Trust described the situation of many intern workers in that country. Enough real slavery still exists in the world today (including both in Thailand and in the UK). There is certainly no need to introduce institutionalised enslavement into established workplaces. However, many of the characteristics of slavery are fully part of the conditions of modern-day internship: no pay, hard work, long hours. While torture is presumably absent, there is the mental torture of fearing that a negative employer's report may deny an intern a successful subsequent employment opportunity.
Human resource wish-list for 2018
Christopher Bruton, Published on 03/01/2018
» Wouldn't it be wonderful if all our New Year wishes could be granted in the next twelve months? Actually the wishes expressed below could all become realities, or, at least, a start made on them, if government policy-makers have the determination to address these issues. Our New Year wishes for 2018 fall into three categories: some that would enhance the skills of young people entering the labour force; some that would benefit those already in the labour force; and finally some that would benefit those in the evening of their working lives or beyond.
Thailand: the Human Resource Hub of CLMTV?
Christopher Bruton, Published on 13/12/2017
» With the rapid expansion of political, economic and social relationships between the countries of what is now becoming known as CLMTV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam), this sub-region of ASEAN is beginning to become recognised as the mainstay of Thailand’s international relations.
Building bridges or barriers: bricks or brains?
Christopher Bruton, Published on 05/06/2017
» With so much attention now being devoted to "Thailand 4.0", the talk is all about innovation, competitiveness, sustainable development, value creation and a host of other expressions for which at this stage there are no familiar Thai language equivalents. There is also an immense amount of planning of enabling infrastructure, including high-speed trains, expressways, special economic zones, science and industrial parks, creative districts and even an "aerotropolis". All this is to be achieved in parade ground style, in a double quick timeframe.
Creating a safe office environment
Christopher Bruton, Published on 17/10/2016
» There is no such thing as a completely safe office environment. Unless an organisation has the need, and the resource allocation necessary, to make its offices into a secure fortress, as does the US Embassy in Bangkok, then one always runs the risk of penetration by unfriendly forces. But let’s assume that you are not at risk from rocket attacks from a distance, or a bomb dropped off from an unmanned drone. Under normal circumstances, an organisation can at least take reasonable steps to assure security for staffers and welcome visitors, as well as protecting staffers from visitors who turn out to be unwelcome guests. We asked Chuck Krueger of Ackerman Group for his suggestions, and the following are some of the salient points from his experienced advice.
Home-safe-home for staffers
Christopher Bruton, Published on 26/09/2016
» In an increasingly high risk world, companies bringing senior expatriates into Thailand, or even providing housing for non-Bangkok origin local staffers, will need to consider carefully how best to house these valuable human resources, along with their families. Bangkok and other localities in Central, Eastern, Northern or Northeastern Thailand are not currently considered high risk localities, certainly lower risk than Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta or particularly Manila, although higher risk than Singapore or Hong Kong.
Employee Recruitment or Employer Selection: Whose Choice?
Christopher Bruton, Published on 12/09/2016
» In times not long past, employers were the lords and masters of the labour market. Birth rates were high, school leavers were numerous, and unless one had particular influences through families or friends, getting a decent job at a decent rate of pay was of the order of a rat race. Admittedly, there were not so many graduates with high entry skills, but then there were also not so many high-level jobs to fill. So everybody found a slot, and those slots could usually fit round or square pegs without too much friction.
Human Resources Watch: what can Thailand learn from "Brexit"?
Christopher Bruton, Published on 04/07/2016
» The UK referendum on remaining in or departing from the European Union (EU) was decided with a mere 51.9 per cent majority for departure. An extended period of post mortem debate, recriminations and potentially acrimonious negotiation now ensues. This will not be easy, least of all because the leaders of both government and opposition parties are now totally discredited and on their way out. Scotland hopes to quit the United Kingdom altogether. The victorious "Brexit" leaders appear to have formulated no advance plans to handle the situation.