At the National Day Rally 2021, the then Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong announced an intended law to deal with workplace discrimination. Following the publication of an interim report and final report in 2023 by the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness, the landmark Workplace Fairness Bill (“Bill“) was tabled in Parliament for first reading on 12 November 2024.
The Bill seeks to:
- protect individuals from discrimination by employers on the ground of specified protected characteristics, such as age, nationality, sex, pregnancy, disability, and mental health.
- establish fair employment practices in relation to the fair consideration of job applications, investigation and review of grievances, and prohibition of retaliation.
A second bill is intended to be tabled in 2025 to set out claims procedures and implement amendments to the Employment Claims Act. If passed, both Bills are expected to take effect concurrently in 2026 or 2027.
The Bill will herald a significant change to Singapore’s employment law, complementing and sharpening – without replacing – the existing Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (“TGFEP“) published by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices.
In this Update, we first summarise key statutory obligations under the Bill, then answer some practical questions such as:
- Will the Bill apply to all employers? How about contractors and platform workers?
- What actions can be taken in the event of a contravention of the Bill?
- Will the TGFEP still be relevant once the Bill comes into force?
- What preparatory steps should employers take in the interim?
For more information, click here to read the full Legal Update.
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