Turmoil in financial markets holds wide-ranging implications for employers and their workers. Recent Watson Wyatt analysis and research discusses the impact of the current market conditions.
Despite being one of the three Asian countries to claim a positive GDP growth for 2009, Vietnam, like its neighbors, is showing the effects of the world economic downturn. Unemployment, a growing issue worldwide, is expected to increase in Vietnam as factories closed down in response to canceled or insufficient export orders. The situation is exacerbated by overseas Vietnamese returning home to seek work and professional opportunities.
Worldwide economic decline and the crash of stock markets are the most talked about topics in business today. Many corporations are affected by these events, particularly the financial industry. However, reports indicate that merger activities in the Asia Pacific market have been declining in both volume and activity. Exactly how have merger activities been impacted by the global financial crisis?
Ideas and Research
Flexible Benefits
Smart employers are moving away from a "one size fits all" approach by providing employees with choice. Flexible benefits ensures the benefit spend optimises value to employees and provides effective cost management mechanisms for employers - a win-win scenario, says Watson Wyatt's Andrew Heard.
WorkAsia: Customer Focus Can Revive Employee Engagement
As reflected in the WorkAsia survey report, Watson Wyatt's Deirdre Lander stresses the importance of employee engagement in returning an organisation to stability and profitability after the downturn.
M&A: Issues & opportunities in the Economic Crisis
Although the global economy is in recession, companies with sufficient resources should be taking a more proactive approach to M&A. Watson Wyatt's Josephine Chow says companies can widen the gap between themselves and their competitors by leveraging the bottoming economy and their own resources. Read the Article
The power of integrated reward and talent management
In light of the volatile business environment, companies need to get an even greater return on their investment in reward and talent management programs than is generally the case, says Watson Wyatt's Rachelle Archebal.
Employers in Asia-Pacific are taking short-term steps to control costs in light of the financial crisis. Watson Wyatt's Bob Charles discusses the importance of communicating the long-term strategy to employees.