Heng Chee How on Workplace Fairness Bill

Fighting age discrimination is not only a legal matter, nor is it just a moral imperative, it is also an economic necessity that will help sustain long-term prosperity for all, said Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 7), he said that despite progress in many areas of employment equity, age discrimination continues to be cited as a barrier, and this challenge will be heightened by Singapore’s growing demographic shift towards an ageing population. “And if age discrimination is not adequately addressed, it could have serious economic and social implications,” he said. He highlighted that age discrimination was the most commonly cited form of workplace discrimination in 2023, according to figures by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment, placed ahead of complaints about race discrimination and gender discrimination. Voicing support for the Workplace Fairness Bill, he pointed out that the Bill marks a significant step in the fight against workplace discrimination, including workplace ageism in Singapore.