share on
As the WFA takes effect soon, employers must go beyond intent to action – ensuring recruitment is fair and merit-based, and that clear grievance handling procedures are in place to address disputes swiftly and sensitively, reminds Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP).
With the impending enactment of Workplace Fairness Act (WFA), the importance of implementing fair employment practices is set to grow significantly for employers.
In August 2023, the government accepted the final set of recommendations from the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness and the bill was passed in Parliament on 8 January 2025.
With the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) continuing to play a key role alongside the upcoming WFA, this is a timely opportunity for you to take stock and assess whether your organisation’s current practices align with the prevailing Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.
Fair recruitment practices
Recruitment decisions should be based on a candidate’s skills, experience, and ability to perform the job. Personal attributes that are irrelevant to the job – such as race, age, gender, religion, marital status, family responsibilities or disability – should not influence the selection process.
When drafting a job advertisement, do you have these processes in place to ensure alignment with fair employment practices?
- Selection criteria listed are related to the job requirements.
- All personnel involved in developing the job advertisement are aware of the need to adhere to the TGFEP (including staff outside of your HR team).
Not sure where to start? You can begin by reviewing these two key areas of your organisation’s policies and practices:
Job advertisement vetting: Having a comprehensive vetting process in place to check for words or phrases that could be perceived as discriminatory before publishing the job advertisement.
Compliance with manpower regulations: Another fundamental aspect to fair recruitment is complying with existing manpower regulations such as the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF). Here are some important questions that you need to ask:
- Is your organisation’s recruitment policy and process in line with the FCF requirements?
- Does your recruitment process consider the workforce in Singapore fairly for job opportunities by advertising job vacancies on the MyCareersFuture portal, and
- Does your recruitment process fairly consider all candidates who meet the selection criteria?
With legislation, employers will be required to put in place proper processes to ensure that recruitment practices are carried out in a fair and merit-based manner.
To learn more about how to implement fair recruitment practices at your own pace, check out TAFEP’s "Introduction to Fair Hiring" e-learning module.
Clear grievance handling procedures
Another key requirement of the WFA is for employers to put in place grievance handling processes to resolve grievances and disputes at the workplace. These processes help preserve workplace harmony and promote amicable resolution of disputes – both of which are hallmarks of Singapore’s employment landscape.
Here are some questions to help you gauge your organisation’s preparedness in managing employee grievances:
- Do you have a proper process to hear employees’ concerns, look into them and resolve them in a fair and timely manner?
- How is this process communicated to the employees? For example, is the process stated in the employee handbook, code of conduct, or company intranet
- Do your employees know who to approach should they wish to lodge a grievance report or file a discriminatory complaint?
- How is your organisation ensuring that complaints are handled with confidentiality and sensitivity?
- Are affected employees informed when they can expect to receive the outcome of their complaints?
To learn more about how to implement a proper grievance handling process in your workplace, please refer to TAFEP’s Grievance Handling Handbook for more information.
Taking stock of your organisation’s fair employment practices
The WFA marks a significant milestone in upholding workplace fairness and entrenching fair employment standards across Singapore. To effectively address workplace discrimination, employers must take proactive steps by implementing formal policies and processes that comply with the legislative requirements.
These are some ways to prepare your organisation for the upcoming legislation:
- Take a quick self-assessment of your organisation via the Fair and Progressive Employment Index (FPEIndex), to know how well your organisation adheres to the TGFEP. Review the insights and recommendations provided to identify where your organisation can close the gaps and create a truly conducive workplace.
- Refer to the list of practices found in the Tripartite Standards on Recruitment Practices and Grievance Handling as an additional guide in the implementation of fair employment practices.
- Access our Workplace Fairness one-stop resource page as a guide to review and make necessary improvements to your organisation's employment practices in preparation for the upcoming WFA.
Adopting fair employment practices is essential for cultivating an engaged and motivated workforce that will work towards your organisation’s goals. Take the first step today.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) provides information and resources to help employers and HR professionals keep abreast of HR best practices. Visit tafep.sg to find out more.
share on
