Workplace Reforms Needed in East Asia: 12 Priority Areas

East Asia's economic miracle came with labor costs. As demographics shift (aging, low fertility) and value chains upgrade, reform is urgent across 12 domains:

1. Labor Standards Enforcement: Minimum wage compliance, overtime caps (Korea 52h, Japan 45h/mo, China 36h/mo), OSH inspections. Gig/platform workers excluded in most.
2. Gender Equity: Pay gaps (Korea 31%, Japan 22%, China 15%), glass ceilings, maternity discrimination, care burden. Mandatory disclosure (Korea 2024) helps.
3. Flexible Work: Remote/hybrid legal frameworks (Japan 2020 guidelines, Korea 2022 act). Right to disconnect (Australia model).
4. Skills & Lifelong Learning: Singapore SkillsFuture, Korea Tomorrow Learning Card, China vocational upgrade. SME access gaps persist.
5. Occupational Safety: Korea Serious Accidents Punishment Act (2022), Japan chemical regulation, China 2021 Work Safety Law. Enforcement > legislation.
6. Social Protection Portability: Pension/health across job changes, borders (ASEAN +3 talks). Informal sector coverage (60-80% in region).
7. Labor Market Flexibility: Korea dispatch law, Japan indefinite conversion rule, China labor contract law. Balance security/dynamism.
8. Migrant Worker Rights: EPS (Korea), TITP/SSW (Japan), China internal migrants (hukou). Wage theft, passport retention, housing.
9. Digital Transition: AI/automation displacement. Reskilling funds, algorithmic management regulation (Korea platform law).
10. Work-Life & Mental Health: Korea 52h cap, Japan karoshi prevention, China "996" crackdown. EAP expansion.
11. Well-being Culture: Beyond compliance—psychological safety, purpose, inclusion. Japan "health management" certification.
12. Social Dialogue: Tripartite councils (Korea ESC, Japan Rengo/Keidanren, China ACFTU reform). Independent unions weak.

Progress is uneven. Japan/Korea/Singapore lead on frameworks; China/Vietnam/Indonesia on scale. Demographic cliff makes this existential, not optional.