The Tripartite Committee was convened in July 2021 to review Singapore’s workplace fairness framework. It has now released its interim report on its recommendations for the proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation, and the bill is expected to be proposed in Parliament in 2024.
In brief
The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness (“Tripartite Committee“) has released its interim report on 13 February 2023 with its 20 recommendations (“Recommendations“) for the proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation.
In 2021, the Singapore government announced that it will be taking steps to enshrine the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (“TGFEP“) in law. The TGFEP, which is non-legally binding, sets out principles of workplace fairness and best practices for employers. While the TGFEP has improved standards of workplace fairness in Singapore, it does not have legal force. Enshrining the TGFEP in law is a significant step towards strengthening Singapore’s stand against workplace discrimination.
The Tripartite Committee is of the view that the Workplace Fairness Legislation can enhance our current framework by:
- Strengthening Singapore’s overall framework for workplace fairness.
- Providing more remedies for harm done due to workplace discrimination, beyond wrongful dismissal, including both monetary and non-monetary remedies.
- Providing more appropriate enforcement measures against discriminatory employers, which are calibrated to the severity of the discriminatory behaviour.
- Formalising mediation as the preferred approach to resolve workplace discrimination disputes to preserve a non-litigious and harmonious workplace culture.
The Tripartite Committee has categorised the 20 Recommendations into four key topics. We summarise the Recommendations based on the four topics in Annex 1 below, along with key details relating to each Recommendation.
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The Tripartite Committee is seeking public feedback with a view to publish the final report by end 2023. As we will be participating in the public consultation, we invite you to share your comments with us so that we can take into account your considerations when providing our feedback on the Recommendations.
If you would like to participate in this exercise, please complete the short questionnaire by 3 March 2023.
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