Thai’s Ethical Culture
* Thailand is considerably different from Western societies in terms of fundamental values as well as work-related values. Thai ethics has been strongly influenced by Asian philosophies
* Thai people are more collectivist and more accepting of power than people in the United States.
* In Thailand, the society respects its elders, superiors, and patrons more so than in the U.S
* Core values are considered to be collectivistic, fatalistic, and externally power controlled
* Another key concept in Thailand is taking another person’s feelings into account.
* Respect for leaders, is another fundamental component of Thai Ethics
* Public display of affection is not common in traditional Thai ethics and counted immoral.
* It is immoral to have conflict and sudden displays of anger.
* Employees are morally obliged to obey the law, moral and civil law at work and at other times. This is due to the religious background of the Thais, who are majority Buddha. Despite this fact, employee misconduct is present in organizations.
Work discrimination in Thailand
Women
* Thai women nowadays has the same rights at workplaces as Thai men, before women in Thailand where not even considered as a decent workforce.
* Now Thai women are able to earn around 90% of the salary of a male in a similar job and this percentage is even higher than in U.S.
The Homework on Should Women Work Outside Home
Recently, many women are engaged in various kinds of job, and they have been advancing in society. Moreover, it is quite ubiquitous among typical families that a mother works outside the home. In the article Should a Woman Work Outside the Home?, the author Mohammed Akade Osman Sudan argues that a womans rightful place in society is in the home. I disagree with the authors view that women should ...
* Nevertheless, in Thailand there is a culture of ‘Glass ceiling’ (you wont be able to reach a higher position if you are a woman, even though, you have education and achievements) so many women wont be able to reach a senior position in the organization.
* The development of international companies in Thailand would be very helpful in order to ensure that Thai women are able to climb up the corporate ladder.
* In Thailand disrespectful behaviour against the women is not accepted but still there are cases where women are still the victims of sex discrimination within the workplace.
Wage discrimination
* In the private sector, women generally receive equal wages in low wage jobs, but not in higher wage jobs.
Age discrimination
* In most of the job advertisements in Thailand it is specified that the company is searching for young and attractive people so for the older generation it is very hard to find a job there.
Migrants discrimination
* Lower wages paid as well as longer working hours.
Terms of Employment
* The maximum probationary period permissible under Thai employment law is 120 days.
* All employers are required by labour law to provide at least 13 official public holidays per year, and six vacation days after one full year of service.
* The availability of a relatively low cost and mobile labour force is one of Thailand’s greatest assets and was the major reason for Thailand’s popularity for manufacturing businesses.
* The legal regulations relating to the employment of staff and workers are incorporated in the Labour Act and the section of the Civil and Commercial Code on contracts relating to the hire of services contracts. In addition, there are a number of ministerial regulations issued by the Ministry of Interior (prior to 1993) and the Ministry of Labour & Social Welfare (from 1993 onwards).
Minimum Wage
* The minimum daily wage depends on the location and types of employment activities in accordance with the Labour Act.
The Term Paper on Reasonable Working Hours Work Workers Actu
For nearly three years, one of the main activities of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has been to conduct a campaign for "reasonable working hours." It commenced with a survey completed in October 1999, which linked the sharp increase in working hours over the past two decades with stress-related illnesses and workplace accidents. Apart from occasional media releases, the "campaign" ...
Working Hours & Holidays
* Labour regulations prescribe the maximum number of working hours of employees at 48 hours per week. Where work is deemed hazardous, working hours may not exceed 42 hours a week or not more than 7 hours a day.
* Once employees have worked for 5 consecutive hours, they must be given a one-hour rest period. All employees who have worked continuously for a period of not less than one year are entitled to a minimum of 6 working days paid vacation every year in addition to the 13 public holidays traditionally observed in Thailand (including National Labour Day).
Sick Leave
* All employees are entitled to sick leave with pay for up to 30 working days per year.
* In addition to sick leave, a pregnant woman is entitled to 90 days of maternity leave (inclusive of holidays), including full pay 45 workdays.
* An employer may require an employee to produce a medical certificate if the sick leave taken is for 3 consecutive days or more.
* An employee can be dismissed for absence from work for 3 days or more without reasonable explanation.
Female & Child Labour
* Female workers may not be employed to perform work which is strenuous and dangerous to their health, which is detrimental to their morals and safety; or between 12 midnight and 6am, except in shift work.
* A female employee who has worked for more than 180 days is entitled to take maternity leave with pay for 45 days and an additional 45 working days without pay, if necessary. Maternity leave is in addition to the 30 days paid sick leave to which all employees are entitled.
* Children under 15 years of age shall not be employed under any circumstances.
* Children over 15 but under 18 years of age may be allowed to work if official permission is secured from the Labour & Social Welfare Ministry.
* Children over 15 but under 18 should not be made to work between the hours of 10pm and 6am.
* No one under 18 years is allowed to perform work prejudicial to their health, morals and safety.
The Term Paper on Why Organizations Should Implement Flexible Work Hours
In today’s fast-paced competitive world, flexible work arrangements are a key component to ensure employee commitment. Flexible work arrangements ensure that employers have a flexible work force i.e. there is availability of sufficient labor to meet the workload at all times. Transforming practices in the work place so that it suits employee needs better, is extremely crucial in ensuring employee ...
Working Rules & Regulations
* An employer with 10 or more regular employees is required to establish written rules and regulations in the Thai language governing work performance and to display these regulations at the work premises.
* A copy of these rules and regulations must be submitted to the Ministry of Labour & Social Welfare within 7 days from the date the employer acquires a total of 10 employees or more.
Labour Relations
* An employer is prohibited from dismissing an employee who is unable to continue working because of participation in labour rallies and submission of labour demands and negotiations, the result of which is pending.
* All labour associations must be registered with and licensed by the Central Registration Office of Employees’ Association, Ministry of Labour & Social Welfare or by provincial registrars designated by the Ministry of Labour & Social Welfare.
* When the parties cannot reach agreement, conciliation may be made by the Labour Department upon receipt of the case presented in writing or an arbitrator may be appointed to reconcile the dispute.
Labour Settlements
* The Labour Inspector under the Labour Protection Act and the Labour Court under the Labour Court Procedure Act provides additional protection and remedies for any disputes arising between an employer and an employee including unfair termination.
* A decision as to whether an employee’s termination is unfair or not rests on the Labour inspector or the Labour Court’s discretion.
