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NOTES ON MEF NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2009

The MEF National Conference 2009 provides unparalleled networking in an environment that has been specially crafted to encourage knowledge sharing and information exchange in a professional and exciting setting.

Theme:  Economic Uncertainties – HR Challenges and Responses

Objectives:
-    Optimize HR function to deliver strategic results in turbulent times. Economic challenges are testing Malaysian HR leaders, and senior executives are striving to reduce costs and streamline processes. As labour markets soften and uncertainty prevails, this conference will help make the case for talent management strategy that adapts to short-term pressures and to prepare for the long haul.
-    Addresses the critical challenges and responses on how to improve service delivery, facilitate change, and demonstrate the strategic capability and contribution of HR in volatile times.
-    Sustain the essential investment in human capital. Economic indicators may fluctuate, but Malaysia’s demographic trends mean the long-term competition for talent will continue. While cost control and improving process efficiencies may be the short-term focus in the face of the economic downturn, HR must demonstrate its ability to add strategic value and contribute to long-term requirements.
-    Share with the experts on various approaches to optimize HR’s contribution and protect long-term talent requirements from short-term needs.

Conference Topics:
-    Economic uncertainties – Government response and initiatives: During economic uncertainties, companies have to make business decisions to meet immediate challenges. The role of human resource management is more important than ever to improve operational efficiencies to ensure that the organisation remain viable.
-    HR Strategies - Managing Human Resources to avoid retrenchment: Sharing of private sector experiences and best practices in human resource management focusing on employee engagement, boosting morale and ensuring profitability during the period of economic uncertainties.
-    Issues and Challenges in Implementing Painless Cost Cutting Measures: The latest industrial relations law and Government strategies provided to companies in implementing measures during global downturn with special focus on cost cutting measures that should be considered before implementing retrenchment; as well as the trade unions’ perspective in implementing measures to avert retrenchment and unemployment during global downturn.
-    Strategic Labour Market Restructuring – present and future: Malaysia’s experience and best practices in labour market restructuring during the period of economic uncertainties. Benchmarking the government and private sector initiatives sectors with those of developed economies would add value in the area of upgrading skills, ensuring graduate relevance and attracting pools of talent to Malaysian workforce.
-    Turnaround Strategies in Difficult Economic Environment – CEO Perspective: The experience and turnaround strategies adopted by Telekom Malaysia in operating successfully within the difficult global downturn scenario.
-    HR Response to Economic Uncertainties – Singapore Experience: Experiences and turnaround strategies adopted by the Singapore Government and its private sector in meeting the challenges of the recession; with highlights on the “Resilience Package” to help Singaporeans keep jobs and viable companies stay afloat and initiatives such as SNEF Flexi-Works! programme which offers a grant of up to S$100,000 to encourage companies to recruit permanent part-time workers and workers on flexible work arrangements from the economically inactive pool of manpower.
-    Tailoring Leadership and HR Response to Organisations Moving Forward during Economic Uncertainties: The way forward for HR during global downturn with special focus on new strategies and opportunistic mindset to strive to survive and build strength for the future.

MEF PUBLICATION “GUIDE TO REDUNDANCY AND RETRENCHMENT”

The book:
-    is the third in the MEF Industrial Relations publication series.

-    is part of MEF vision to promote the development of best practices and excellence in human resource management to enable employers meet current and future business challenges.

-    is timely in terms of the current economic downturn as it aims to provide a comprehensive guide to companies in their cost-cutting measures and restructuring efforts. More than 100 decided cases have been cited and the commentaries discuss all aspects of pre-retrenchment, retrenchment and post-retrenchment issues.

-    aims to provide a greater understanding of areas of industrial relations from the perspective of legal requirements, practices and the relevant decided cases of the Malaysian courts as well as some courts of foreign jurisdiction.

-    provides a useful insight to employers, human resource practitioners and those who are interested in the subject on how to restructure business, and how to deal with redundancy and retrenchment.