Wednesday 1st July 2026

Global Mobility Masterclass co-hosted with Global Mobility Lawyer:

9:00 - 9:45 – Registration and welcome breakfast

9:45 - 10:00 – Welcome and introductions from Global Mobility Lawyer

10:00 - 11:00 – Plenary Session 1: Balancing talent access and local workforce protections in Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific’s rapid economic growth and innovation-led industries have created an acute demand for highly skilled foreign workers. At the same time, governments are introducing policies to protect and promote local labour, creating a regulatory friction point for multinational employers. This session will explore how multinationals can navigate these competing priorities: meeting talent needs through global mobility programmes while staying compliant with local labour rules and avoiding social or political backlash. The panel will provide practical insights on immigration policy, employment law, and strategic workforce planning across the region.

11:00 - 11:30 – Coffee break

11:30 - 12:30 – Plenary Session 2: Non-traditional visa hacks or compliance traps?

As businesses expand across the Asia-Pacific region, traditional immigration pathways are being quietly replaced by more flexible, non-traditional visa options. This panel explores the growing reliance on digital nomad visas, short-term business visitor categories, and even tourist visas to facilitate cross-border work, often in response to evolving workforce expectations and operational pressures. But while these routes can offer speed and agility, they also present significant legal, tax, and compliance risks, including regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and unintended permanent establishment or employment law consequences. Panellists will highlight common risk scenarios, recent enforcement trends, and the challenges of interpreting permissible business activities in a post-pandemic, hybrid-working world.

12:30 - 1:30 – Plenary Session 3: Data-driven mobility: Strategy, scrutiny, and crisis readiness

Global mobility programmes are undergoing a fundamental shift – from operational support functions to strategic, data-led drivers of workforce planning and risk management. At the same time, governments across the globe are investing heavily in migration data analytics to inform policy development, monitor compliance, and strengthen enforcement. This convergence is reshaping how organisations deploy talent across borders and how quickly they must respond when conditions change. This panel will explore the growing role of data on both sides of the mobility equation as well as how organisations can build robust, data-informed mobility strategies that stand up to geopolitical instability and deliver effective crisis response.

1:30 - 2:45 – Networking lunch and close of the Global Mobility Masterclass

Asia-Pacific Employment Summit: 

1:30 - 2:45 – Networking lunch and registration

2:45 - 3:00 – Welcome and introductions from International Employment Lawyer

3:00 - 4:00 – Plenary Session 1: Working in the grey: Navigating Singapore’s anti-discrimination law

Singapore is introducing its first comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, signalling a major evolution in workplace equality. While the law promises stronger protections for workers, employers are closely watching how the government will define the new protected characteristics, scope of coverage, and enforcement expectations. This opening plenary session will explore the still grey areas of the anti-discrimination law, including examining which personal characteristics are likely to be protected and where the boundaries lie; where Singapore may draw inspiration from regionally and globally, and how the government aims to balance individual protections with practical compliance obligations for employers.

4:00 - 4:30 – Coffee break

4:30 - 5:30 – Breakout Session 1: Employers of Record: Shortcut to market or compliance tightrope?

As companies expand across Asia, Employers of Record (EOR) have become an increasingly popular solution for hiring without establishing a local entity. But while EOR models promise speed and simplicity, their legal treatment across Asia is far from uniform. This panel will explore how EOR arrangements operate across key Asian jurisdictions, examining where they are well-established, where they sit in regulatory grey areas, and where they may face restriction or scrutiny. It will unpack the employment, tax, and regulatory implications of using EORs, and provide practical guidance on when they are an effective tool – and when they are not.

4:30 - 5:30 – Breakout Session 2: Bossware unleashed: The rise of workplace monitoring technology 

Workplace monitoring is no longer limited to tracking log-in times or email usage. Across parts of Asia, employers are deploying increasingly sophisticated – and sometimes intrusive – technologies to monitor productivity, behaviour, and even physical and emotional states. From AI-powered surveillance systems and biometric tracking to smart office furniture and real-time behavioural analytics, the boundaries between legitimate oversight and employee intrusion are being tested like never before. This session will explore the most extreme examples of “bossware”, examining how far employers are going, why they are doing it, and where the legal and reputational limits lie. It will also consider how regulators, courts, and workers are responding – and what multinationals should learn before adopting similar tools.

6:15pm onwards – Opening drinks reception at Baia

Thursday 2nd July 2026

8:30 - 9:15 – Registration and welcome breakfast

9:15 - 9:30 – Welcome and introductions from International Employment Lawyer

9:30 - 10:30 – Plenary Session 1: From picket lines to hashtags: Managing industrial action in Asia

Industrial action in Asia can take many forms, from traditional strikes and work stoppages to go-slow campaigns, hunger strikes, and coordinated social media activism. For multinational employers, these events raise a complex mix of legal, operational, and reputational challenges. This panel will explore practical strategies for responding to industrial action while staying compliant with local labour laws, protecting operational continuity, and managing reputational risk. Panellists will share insights into preventive measures, crisis management, and post-action engagement, helping employers navigate industrial disputes responsibly and effectively.

10:30 - 11:00 – Coffee break

11:00 - 12:00 – Breakout Session 1: Supply chains on trial: Modern slavery risk and legal accountability

Asia sits at the heart of global supply chains – and at the centre of growing scrutiny around forced labour. As legislative frameworks evolve and enforcement intensifies, companies operating in or sourcing from the region face increasing pressure not just to report risks, but to identify, prevent, and remediate them. This panel will examine how modern slavery risks manifest across Asian supply chains, and how the legal landscape is shifting, including transparency-based regimes and mandatory due diligence and import controls. It will also explore the increasing willingness of Western courts to hear claims linked to alleged human rights abuses occurring in Asia, reshaping the risk profile for multinational companies.

11:00 - 12:00 – Breakout Session 2: From accidents to malice: Protecting your data in the workplace

In today’s digital-first environment, employers face growing risks from data breaches originating from both employee and third-party supplier negligence, as well as malicious actors internally and externally. Whether the breach involves trade secrets, employee records, or customer data, the consequences can be severe, ranging from regulatory enforcement and legal claims to reputational damage and loss of competitive advantage. This session will explore how to proactively mitigate risks, respond to incidents, and navigate the complex regulatory landscape. 

12:00 - 1:30 – Networking Lunch

1:30 - 2:30 – Breakout Session 3: Exclusive jurisdiction clauses: Enforceable or not for cross-border workers?

Exclusive jurisdiction clauses are a common tool in employment contracts, allowing parties to agree in advance which court will resolve disputes. While they can provide certainty and limit forum shopping, their enforceability varies across jurisdictions. Looking at recent case law from across the region, this session will explore when exclusive jurisdiction clauses work, when they fail before the courts, and how employers can structure agreements to maximise enforceability while minimising litigation risk in cross-border disputes.

1:30 - 2:30 – Breakout Session 4: The PIP trap: How to manage performance without getting sued

Performance management is a core function of every organisation. But when handled poorly, it is also one of the leading sources of employment disputes. From unfair dismissal claims to discrimination allegations and retaliation risks, performance processes can quickly become legal flashpoints. Offering stories from the frontlines, this session will explore how employers can design and implement performance management frameworks that are fair, consistent, and legally defensible, while still driving accountability and business outcomes. Panellists will examine common mistakes, real-world disputes, and practical strategies to mitigate risk across different jurisdictions.

2:30 - 3:00 – Coffee break

3:00 - 4:00 – Plenary Session 2: The disputes that mattered: Unpicking landmark employment decisions

Each year, a handful of employment disputes reshape the legal landscape by clarifying grey areas, setting new precedents, and forcing employers to rethink long-standing practices. This session brings together leading practitioners from across Asia-Pacific to spotlight the most consequential employment cases of the past year in their respective jurisdictions. Each panellist will unpack a standout decision, explain why it matters, and distil the practical lessons for employers operating locally and across borders. From wrongful termination and discrimination to data privacy and gig economy classification, the discussion will provide a fast-paced, jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction tour of the legal developments that should be on every employer’s radar.

4:00 - 5:00 – Plenary Session 3: Bribes, borders, and business: Making the most of the anti-corruption push

Anti-corruption enforcement is intensifying worldwide, presenting complex challenges for multinational corporations navigating diverse legal and cultural environments. Understanding local regulatory frameworks and identifying common corruption risks – particularly in high-growth and high-risk markets – has become critical. This session will explore how employment law intersects with corporate governance in supporting Asia’s anti-corruption efforts. Legal experts will examine the design and enforcement of effective anti-bribery and anti-graft policies, strategies for detecting and preventing misconduct within the workforce, and the role of workplace culture in promoting ethical behaviour.

5:00 – Closing remarks from International Employment Lawyer followed by closing drinks reception