The advancements made in technology and social media have ushered in a wave of new forms of work going forward from 2020. Work environments have been transformed to be much more flexible and customisable due to technology globally and within Malaysia.
These new forms of work have created new forms of risk for workers, who now require a shift in occupational safety and health measures as well as the social security coverage.
The “ISSA Technical Seminar on Digitalization – New Forms of Work: Focussing On Occupational Risks” that commenced on Feb 2 and ends today gathered great minds in social security from around the world to look into how social security aspects such as workers’ safety, health, rehabilitation, contribution and collection are affected by digitalization. The seminar also saw solutions that came up to address the issues.
Serious in addressing the changes that were brought about by digitalisation in the field of social security, the Ministry of Human Resources through the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) has embarked on several measures to prepare the nation in adapting to these changes. Among them is the extension of the social security coverage to the self-employed, introducing the Employment Insurance System and automation of social security core processes.
“As the Minister of Human Resources, I would like to remind all quarters that it is timely to embrace the changes that digitalisation has brought to the world of employment and initiate actions to address them positively. These shifts can be a challenge and if handled correctly, they could create opportunities for the betterment of all workers in the country,” said Human Resources Minister M. Kula Segaran.
About 200 delegates and speakers participated in the three-day seminar, of which 35% came from 25 countries in various regions such as Europe, Africa, the Americas, West Asia and Asia Pacific.
