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This Bill comes after Singapore passed the Workplace Fairness Bill in January 2025 and will set out the process for individuals to make claims against firms if they experience workplace discrimination.
In January 2025, Singapore's Parliament passed the Workplace Fairness Bill, marking a significant step toward building fairer and more inclusive workplaces across the country.
This initial Bill protects employees from discrimination based on five key characteristics:
- Age
- Nationality
- Sex, marital status, pregnancy status, and caregiving responsibilities
- Race, religion, and language
- Disability and mental health conditions
To further strengthen the framework, a second Bill — the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill — was tabled in Parliament on 14 October 2025. This Bill outlines the formal process for individuals to file claims against employers if they experience workplace discrimination, providing a clearer path to justice and accountability.
Designed in close cooperation with the Tripartite Partners, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), the dispute resolution process aims to provide a fair, accessible, and expeditious pathway for resolving disputes amicably and is guided by three principles:
- To enable parties to resolve disputes amicably among themselves,
- To provide accessible, expeditious and just resolution of claims and at the same time, deter frivolous claims; and
- To maintain workplace harmony and preserve social cohesion.
Resolving workplace discrimination claims
An individual who experiences workplace discrimination should first raise the matter internally through the firm’s grievance handling process. If the matter is not resolved within the firm and the individual wishes to make a claim against the firm, parties should attempt mediation first, before proceeding to adjudication as the last resort.
Here is an overview of the dispute resolution framework:
Employment Claims Tribunal
The Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) is a judge-led forum for resolving salary-related and wrongful dismissal employment disputes in a fast, low-cost manner. Before a case reaches the ECT, parties must first undergo mandatory mediation at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).
Established to provide a more accessible alternative to litigation in regular courts, the ECT helps both workers and employers settle employment disputes expeditiously and affordably.
Given the sensitive nature of discrimination claims and the importance of preserving workplace harmony, most WFA claims should be heard in the less adversarial ECT setting, with simplified procedures that workers can navigate without the need for legal representation.
To ensure accessibility and fairness, the ECT will hear WFA-related claims up to and including $$250,000. Claims that exceed this threshold will be escalated to the High Court (HC).
Here is a breakdown for clearer reference:
| Claim amount | Judicial forum | |
| Up to and including S$250,000 | - Claims will be heard at the ECT. - Simplified rules and streamlined procedures. - Legal representation is not allowed. - Union representation is permitted under specific conditions. | |
| More than S$250,000 | - Claims will be heard by the HC. - Strict rules of evidence and procedures will apply. - Legal representation is allowed. |
In a judge-led approach at the ECT, judges take a proactive role by guiding parties to define or narrow the key issues, filtering out irrelevant matters, and focusing on the evidence required. They also take steps to progress the case efficiently by making procedural orders on their own initiative, without requiring formal applications from the parties. This helps parties without legal training to navigate the claims process smoothly.
While legal representation is not allowed at the ECT, workers and employers can turn to their respective unions for support with the dispute. Union representatives can advise workers and employers on their rights and obligations, help parties navigate claims and encourage amicable settlements, but will only be permitted under specific conditions:
- For workers: Union representatives may represent union members in unionised companies for claims up to S$250,000 (inclusive) in mediation sessions and ECT hearings.
- For employers: Union representatives (e.g. from SNEF) may represent employer members in mediation sessions and ECT hearings only for claims between S$30,000 and S$250,000 (inclusive), and when the worker can be represented by their worker union.
Union members in non-unionised companies will have access to tripartite mediation advisors (TMAs), who are typically experienced industrial relations practitioners who can assist in mediation to promote amicable settlements.
Rules for workplace discrimination claims
Regardless of the judicial forum, all workplace discrimination claims will be governed by a common set of rules that apply across both judicial forums. These rules aim to facilitate amicable and expeditious resolution of disputes while preserving workplace and social harmony:
- Claimants are required to attempt mediation before filing a claim at the ECT or the HC.
- Requests for mediation must be submitted within prescribed time bars.
- Claims will be heard in private, and parties have a duty to consider amicable resolution during adjudication.
- The ECT and HC will adopt a judge-led approach where judges take a proactive role in managing the case.
- The ECT and HC will be empowered to strike out frivolous claims, and to award costs against claimants who file such claims on a case-by-case basis.
Under the WFA, claimants are required to submit a mediation request within the prescribed time bars, in which it will encourage individuals to come forward in a timely manner, before evidence degrades, while providing employers with some certainty that incidents will not be dredged up.
Managing frivolous claims
Systematic safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of the claims process. Firms may apply to strike out claims, and the ECT and HC can do so on its own initiative.
Individuals who pursue frivolous or vexatious claims may face adverse cost orders, restrictions on further proceedings, or investigation under the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act.
Implementation timeline
The Tripartite Partners and the Tripartite Alliance on Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) will continue to support stakeholders in preparing for the WFA by providing clear, practical advice to employers and workers.
Employers are encouraged to review their HR practices in alignment with the existing Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.
If the Second Bill is passed by Parliament, Singapore's Parliament aims for the WFA (comprising both Bills) to be implemented in 2027.
Infographics / Dispute resolution framework & Time bars
Lead image / Singapore Parliament Facebook
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