In brief On 7 June 2024, the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) published changes to Social Security Law. The new digital “IMSS Mailbox” is mandatory for employers and will be the exclusive means for communicating with the Institute. The IMSS will issue general rules for the operation of the IMSS Mailbox within 60 days. Failing to register may mean forfeiting the opportunity to challenge adverse resolutions.  Key points of the reform Mexican Congress, by means of a decree, established the reform of articles 286 L, first and third paragraphs; 286 M, first paragraph; the addition of s ..read more

In brief In an article published in HR magazine, David Woodward gives advice on what businesses should consider when conducting a workplace investigation. Key takeaways With increased scrutiny surrounding workplace investigations in the wake of global movements such as #MeToo, and the increasing trend towards discussion of workplace misconduct online, David Woodward gives tips to businesses to consider at the outset of any investigation. These include whether to appoint an external investigator and in what circumstances it is possible or desirable to conduct an investigation under legal privi ..read more

In brief Defining, identifying and addressing inappropriate workplace behaviour is increasingly a business-critical issue. Although local differences apply, many jurisdictions have similar legal requirements for protection of employees. This article explores the current legal framework, as well as the risks and litigation landscape, in the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Inappropriate behaviour in the workplace is not new, but historically it was often ignored or accepted. Many employees were afraid to speak up, and often those who did felt th ..read more

In brief The Malaysia Cabinet has approved the proposed amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709). These amendments  are expected to be tabled in the current Parliamentary session taking place up until 18 July 2024. In more detail Malaysia’s Digital Minister, Gobind Singh Deo (“Digital Minister”) announced on 4 July 2024 the approval of the proposed amendments to the Malaysia Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (“PDPA”) by the Cabinet. Specifically these amendments are expected to be tabled in the current Parliament session, convening from 24 June 2024 to 18 July 2024. T ..read more

In brief On 28 May, the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) announced that it had issued an order to pay an administrative fine (called a “surcharge” under Japanese law) in the amount of JPY 1,655,940,000 to the Chugoku Electric Power Company, Incorporated (“Chugoku Electric”)1 under Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (“Act“). The CAA alleged in its order that Chugoku Electric had violated the Act by displaying advertising messages regarding household electricity rate plans on its website that appeared to be cheaper than they wer ..read more

In brief The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) exempts financial institutions from due diligence to identify, mitigate and remedy potential adverse impacts, whether human rights or environmental, in their downstream “chain of activities”. In practice, however, it will be hard to escape entirely, not least as the sector will still need to adopt and implement transition plans. Key takeaways As recognized in the Paris Climate Agreement, financial institutions are critical players in the transition to a carbon-neutral economy and, because of their role in allocating capit ..read more

In brief On 15 May 2024, the Government officially issued the new Decree No. 52/2024/ND-CP to regulate cashless payments (“Decree No. 52“). Decree No. 52 takes effect from 1 July 2024 and replaces the previous Decree No. 101/2012/ND-CP on cashless payments, as amended from time to time (“Decree No. 101“). Among other things, Decree No. 52 sets forth regulations mainly on opening and using payment accounts, cashless payment services and intermediary payment services (IPS). Decree No. 52 aims to promote non-cash payments, facilitating the digital transformation of the banking industry and develo ..read more

In brief Access to a clean energy supply is critical for the African continent and is paramount to its sustainable economic development. To achieve this, African countries need access to funding and grants and increased investment in renewable energy projects. The continent must develop domestic and regional energy grids, expand its renewable energy power plants and facilities, and invest in decarbonisation initiatives and battery storage projects, for example. Across the continent, countries are gearing up for the energy transition by updating and modernizing policy and legislative frameworks ..read more

In brief On 20 June 2024, Bill C-59, The Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023 (“Bill C-59”), which contains the final, and most significant in a series of, amendments to Canada’s Competition Act (the “Act”) came into effect. These amendments will make it easier for the Commissioner of Competition (the “Commissioner”) to take enforcement action, including by introducing structural presumptions in merger review, incentivize private parties to bring actions for all manner of civilly reviewable conduct, and broaden the scope of the Act by introducing a cer ..read more

In brief We refer to our previous client alert on the implementation of the beneficial ownership reporting obligations, administered by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (“CCM“), which came into effect on 1 April 2024. These statutory and reporting requirements imposed the obligation on companies to notify the CCM of their beneficial owners via the dedicated e-BOS portal. The CCM provided a transition period of three months (from 1 April 2024 to 30 June 2024) for companies to complete this reporting obligation. The CCM has recently announced the extension of the transition period ..read more