Tan See Leng on Workplace Fairness Bill
The Workplace Fairness Bill prohibits employers from making an adverse employment decision on the grounds of a protected characteristic. The Government has decided on a “more nuanced and calibrated approach” by starting with five categories of protected characteristics, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng as he outlined the key features in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 7). The first category is age discrimination. All workers deserve to be assessed based on how well they do their job rather than their age, said Dr Tan. Given Singapore’s ageing population, senior workers must be empowered to contribute to the workforce if they wish to for as long as they remain productive and continue learning and refreshing their skills, he added. The second category is nationality. Dr Tan stressed the need for Singapore to remain open and connected, as well as welcoming to global talent and the businesses that can make its team stronger. The Bill is Singapore’s next step to further strengthen protections for Singaporeans, ensure a fair playing field and take stronger action against nationality discrimination, said Dr Tan. The third category covers sex, marital status, pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities. Dr Tan told the House that these areas are important to ensure fair and merit-based treatment for men and women and to support Singapore’s national marriage and parenthood objectives. The Bill can also contribute towards Singapore’s efforts for a more balanced presentation of men and women across sectors and occupations, he added. The fourth category is race, religion and language ability. It aims to send a strong statement that racial and religious discrimination is not acceptable in Singapore, said Dr Tan. The fifth category covers disability and mental health conditions. The Government is working on a tripartite advisory for reasonable accommodations to raise awareness and provide practical guidance to employers. It hopes that this will help to bring the concept of reasonable accommodations into the mainstream employment space. For people with mental health conditions, Dr Tan stressed the need for an evidence-based approach. Dr Tan said the Workplace Fairness Legislation Bill is “not a panacea” but “an additional layer of protection” against the more frequently encountered forms of workplace discrimination. The Bill also focuses on ensuring that employers have a grievance-handling process in place. It refrains from being overly prescriptive on the detailed requirements. This approach is pragmatic, practical and sensible, given the diversity of firms in Singapore’s economy, said Dr Tan. This Bill is the first of two Bills and the Government has chosen to introduce it early so that employers can have more time to prepare for the new law, said Dr Tan. The second Bill will pertain more specifically to how private employment claims can be made for workplace discrimination, he added. If both Bills are passed, the Government intends to implement the Workplace Fairness Legislation sometime in 2026 or 2027.
The Workplace Fairness Bill prohibits employers from making an adverse employment decision on the grounds of a protected characteristic. The Government has decided on a “more nuanced and calibrated approach” by starting with five categories of protected characteristics, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng as he outlined the key features in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 7). The first category is age discrimination. All workers deserve to be assessed based on how well they do their job rather than their age, said Dr Tan. Given Singapore’s ageing population, senior workers must be empowered to contribute to the workforce if they wish to for as long as they remain productive and continue learning and refreshing their skills, he added. The second category is nationality. Dr Tan stressed the need for Singapore to remain open and connected, as well as welcoming to global talent and the businesses that can make its team stronger. The Bill is Singapore’s next step to further strengthen protections for Singaporeans, ensure a fair playing field and take stronger action against nationality discrimination, said Dr Tan. The third category covers sex, marital status, pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities. Dr Tan told the House that these areas are important to ensure fair and merit-based treatment for men and women and to support Singapore’s national marriage and parenthood objectives. The Bill can also contribute towards Singapore’s efforts for a more balanced presentation of men and women across sectors and occupations, he added. The fourth category is race, religion and language ability. It aims to send a strong statement that racial and religious discrimination is not acceptable in Singapore, said Dr Tan. The fifth category covers disability and mental health conditions. The Government is working on a tripartite advisory for reasonable accommodations to raise awareness and provide practical guidance to employers. It hopes that this will help to bring the concept of reasonable accommodations into the mainstream employment space. For people with mental health conditions, Dr Tan stressed the need for an evidence-based approach. Dr Tan said the Workplace Fairness Legislation Bill is “not a panacea” but “an additional layer of protection” against the more frequently encountered forms of workplace discrimination. The Bill also focuses on ensuring that employers have a grievance-handling process in place. It refrains from being overly prescriptive on the detailed requirements. This approach is pragmatic, practical and sensible, given the diversity of firms in Singapore’s economy, said Dr Tan. This Bill is the first of two Bills and the Government has chosen to introduce it early so that employers can have more time to prepare for the new law, said Dr Tan. The second Bill will pertain more specifically to how private employment claims can be made for workplace discrimination, he added. If both Bills are passed, the Government intends to implement the Workplace Fairness Legislation sometime in 2026 or 2027.
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