On August 30, 2007, the Chinese government passed a new employment law called the China Employment Promotion Law (CEPL). The main objectives of the new legislation include advancing employment, establishing fair employment conditions, and banning employment discrimination. The law will take effect on January 1, 2008.

Building on the Labor Law of 1994, the CEPL emphasizes equal rights to employment and prohibits discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender, physical disabilities, or religious beliefs. For instance, the law stipulates that employers may not raise hiring standards for women. The law also bans employers from discriminating against migrant workers moving to urban areas in seek of employment opportunities. Overall, the CEPL is considered more comprehensive than the 1994 Labor Law, which has been widely disregarded.

Although it is still unclear how effectively the new law will be implemented and enforced, HR managers should understand one significant addition. For the first time, the law clearly provides Chinese job-seekers and employees with the right to bring a lawsuit for employment discrimination against a company to the People’s Court. Therefore, it is advised that senior executives and HR managers have a better understanding of the CEPL. In addition, current HR manuals and other related documents in reference to employment guidelines should be reviewed and revised if necessary.

Source: http://www.pacificbridge.com/asianews.asp?id=339