HR Trends and Challenges in Asia and Arabic regions

Human Resources (HR) challenges vary significantly across regions due to differences in labor laws, cultural norms, and workforce dynamics. In this article, we explore specific HR challenges faced by companies in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Arabic regions, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, highlighting real-world examples and how Gallery HR provides tailored solutions to overcome them.

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka: Compliance with Labor Laws

Sri Lanka has a complex legal framework for labor, including mandatory contributions to the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees' Trust Fund (ETF). Non-compliance can lead to severe financial and reputational damage.

Real-World Example: SriLankan Airlines faced scrutiny for failing to comply with EPF and ETF requirements, resulting in legal challenges and reputational harm. (Source)

Gallery HR Solution: The HR Compliance Module automates tracking and reporting of EPF/ETF contributions, keeping companies compliant and avoiding legal penalties.

🇵🇭 Philippines: Engagement in the BPO Sector

The Philippines has a massive BPO industry, where employee engagement and retention remain key concerns due to high-stress environments and cultural variation.

Real-World Insight: A study revealed poor person-organization fit and engagement issues were directly linked to turnover intention in BPOs. (Source)

Gallery HR Solution: The Employee Engagement Platform offers pulse surveys, feedback tools, and engagement analytics to help HR teams proactively address burnout and dissatisfaction.

🇦🇪 Arabic Regions: Legal Localization & Language Barriers

Companies operating in Arabic regions face challenges navigating labor laws, including Saudization, Emiratization, and Islamic labor principles, in addition to language barriers.

Real-World Insight: The UAE introduced steep fines for violations of new labor law updates, affecting companies not aligned with localized legal practices. (Source)

Gallery HR Solution: Gallery HR supports multilingual interfaces and pre-localized contract templates, ensuring compliance and seamless communication.

🇻🇳 Vietnam: Retention in High-Growth Sectors

As Vietnam experiences rapid industrialization, companies face increasing difficulty retaining top talent due to poor compensation structures and career stagnation.

Real-World Insight: The voluntary turnover rate in Vietnamese businesses reached 9.6% in H1 2024, with weak HR practices cited as a key cause. (Source)

Gallery HR Solution: The Compensation & Benefits Module enables market-aligned packages and structured performance reviews to boost loyalty and transparency.

🇲🇾 Malaysia: Diversity & Inclusion in a Multicultural Workforce

Malaysia’s multicultural demographics require HR policies that accommodate religious practices and prevent discrimination.

Real-World Example: In Johor, Muslim employees were urged to report firms that restricted Friday prayers, revealing a concerning gap in religious accommodation. (Source)

Gallery HR Solution: With Diversity & Inclusion Training Modules and customizable leave/policy templates, Gallery HR helps build inclusive, compliant workplaces.

🇮🇩 Indonesia: Time Management in Logistics

Indonesia’s large and dispersed workforce in industries like logistics faces issues with shift scheduling, tracking, and overtime reconciliation.

Real-World Insight: A national logistics firm saw a 17% productivity drop due to poor attendance and performance management. (Source)

Gallery HR Solution: The Time & Attendance Tool supports biometric logins, real-time shift tracking, and geo-tagged attendance to improve accuracy and planning.

✅ Conclusion

From labor compliance in Sri Lanka to inclusion in Malaysia and time tracking in Indonesia, HR challenges in Asia and the Middle East are nuanced and complex. Gallery HR stands apart by providing a region-aware, compliance-ready, and people-first platform tailored to these markets.

👉 Book a demo today and discover how Gallery HR helps your business stay compliant, retain talent, and drive smarter HR decisions.

 

Don’t miss this opportunity to upgrade your HR operations and join the growing list of businesses in Sri Lanka achieving success with GalleryHR.

GalleryHR is committed to helping Sri Lankan businesses thrive with smarter, more efficient HR solutions. Partner with us today and experience the difference.

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