Singapore passes bill to combat workplace discrimination

The bill protects against unfair treatment based on age, disabilities, nationality, and more.

Singapore has announced the passing of the Workplace Fairness Bill that aims to strengthen protections against workplace discrimination, particularly for professionals, managers, and executives, along with older workers.

The bill passed on 8 January, with all members of the parliament present giving their unanimous support of the new legislation. The bill aims to protect against workplace discrimination by prohibiting adverse employment decisions on the grounds of any protected characteristic. 

The five categories of protected characteristics are age; nationality; sex, marital status, pregnancy status, and caregiving responsibilities;  race, religion, and language; and disability and mental health conditions.

Prudent approach

Answering questions from the Parliament, Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower said that they chose to take a ‘prudent’ approach to the Workplace Fairness Bill.

Tan said that while the government cannot resolve all the issues overnight, it will continue to improve over time.

“Instead of rushing into this, we have approached this in a prudent and circumspect manner, so that we do not disrupt our hard-earned social harmony. We want a balanced approach – if it becomes untenable for businesses to operate in Singapore, this affects jobs for workers. What we do not want, is for the law to change the nature of employer-employee relations, such that workplaces become more litigious and divided. What we do want, is for our workplaces to remain harmonious and fair,” Tan said.

Tan said the bill will act as a baseline standard as they recognise employers need time to adjust to new requirements.

Balancing local and foreign employment

Addressing concerns about prioritising Singaporean workers over foreign hires, Tan reiterated that foreign talent complements local workers and attracts global companies, which creates more job opportunities for Singaporeans.

Existing safeguards, such as the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) and wage benchmarks for Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass holders, ensure fair hiring practices and discourage over-reliance on foreign labour. Over the past five years, investigations have led to the withdrawal or rejection of over 600 EP applications due to discriminatory practices.

The government’s multi-pronged approach includes investing in lifelong upskilling, reskilling, and career development initiatives for Singaporeans.

These efforts have resulted in significant growth in Professional, Manager, Executive, and Technician (PMET) roles for local residents, now accounting for 64% of employed residents—up from 54% a decade ago. Local PMETs have seen a 34% growth between 2014 and 2024, surpassing the 11% growth of EP and S Pass holders in the same period.

Tan also said there are no indications that underemployment is increasing, citing consistently low unemployment rates of 3.2% over the past decade as evidence of the strategy’s success.

Indirect discrimination

Tan also addressed the concerns of MPs that the bill does not cover all types of discrimination. Tan emphasised that th

“I want to emphasise again that this Bill is just the start. Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) will track, analyse, and share information on the complaints and cases received and resolved – both under the Bill and the TGFEP (Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practice). This will allow us to more meaningfully discuss and decide on our next moves,” Tan said. 

Parliament member Vikram Nair mentioned specific concerns over indirect discrimination like the wearing of the tudong and the need to perform Friday prayers.

“We have to recognise that there are many operational details and implications, and such issues are best addressed through open communication, trust, and dialogue to accommodate both workers’ and employers’ valid needs. But, if a person goes for Friday prayers and is fired for being religious and not because of performance, this is discriminatory under the law,” Tan said. He also reassured the members of the parliament that TAFEP will continue to look into such cases and engage involved parties.

Tan said the government will look into how it can work together with stakeholders to provide illustrations and guidance on scenarios that constitute indirect discrimination, before implementing the legislation.