Parliament passed a landmark Bill to protect workers against discriminatory practices in hiring, dismissals, and appraisals. This marks a major step in our journey towards inclusivity and fairness in our workplaces.
Minister of Manpower Tan See Leng told Parliament on January 7 that the proposed legislation strengthens protection for jobseekers and employees against discrimination.
At the same time, employers will retain the flexibility to hire workers based on skills that support their business needs.
“Even as we take this next step in our workplace fairness journey, please also let me emphasise upfront that the Workplace Fairness Legislation is not a panacea,” he said.
“It is a measured approach that seeks to preserve our current workplace norms, and guard against divisions in our workplaces and society,” he added.
Over the four-hour-long debate on the first Bill in the legislation, PAP Members of Parliament raised concerns on the Bill while proposing suggestions to better support workers.
Patrick Tay (Pioneer SMC), who is NTUC assistant secretary-general, has been advocating for a level-playing field for workers for the past decade.
He emphasised that the Labour Movement has called for fair access to good work opportunities for professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), which the Bill ensures.
He outlined five key factors, termed the 5Cs, for the Bill’s success.
- Coverage – the legislation will cover most common forms of workplace discrimination, and the legislation should be reviewed constantly;
- Clarity – discrimination and protected characteristics should be clearly defined;
- Communication – address concerns and build trust among stakeholders through effective communication;
- Capability – improve Human Resource capabilities as well as practices on the ground, and lastly,
- Complementarity – the Bill should complement existing legislation.
“True progress requires a collective commitment to check our own biases at work, practice inclusion, and speak up when we spot that something is not right,” Mr Tay said.
Several MPs, including Henry Kwek (Kebun Baru SMC), Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) and Heng Chee How (Jalan Besar GRC), spoke about the need to tackle age discrimination in the workplace.
Mr Kwek, also Vice-Chairman of the PAP Seniors Group (PAPSG), recounted speaking to a retrenched senior construction project manager who faced difficulties securing a new job despite his extensive experience. The man had asked him a poignant question: “Am I too old to matter?”.
Mr Kwek said the Bill is a game-changer, focusing on clear, enforceable actions. He added that PAPSG supports this legislation and will work closely with the government to ensure proper implementation.
Mr Yip noted that many senior workers still experience covert discrimination like dismissing their expertise or denying them training opportunities.
“The real challenge lies in detection and resolution,” he said, adding that many senior workers hesitated to approach human resources departments, fearing they would be labelled “troublemakers”.
Mr Heng, who is NTUC deputy secretary-general, also emphasised the economic importance of leveraging the experience of older workers amid a shrinking labour force.
He called for employers to be more vigilant against ageist bias and other barriers that might affect older job seekers and workers.
Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) and Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) also called for better support for people with disabilities (PwDs). Ms Phua suggested broadening the definition of disability to include individuals with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and ADHD and conditions like cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.
She called for flexible schedules for medical needs, to enable more PwDs to contribute meaningfully to the workforce.
Mr Chong proposed that the Government set a timeline and work towards legislating against indirect discrimination and denial of reasonable accommodation for PwDs.
“Doing so will help us move closer to achieving the Enabling MasterPlan 2030’s goal of 40% of PwD employment rate,” he said.
On the topic of protecting workers who face mental health challenges, MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas SMC) urged the government to expand the definition of protected mental health conditions.
MP Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) raised concerns that the Workplace Fairness Bill excludes sexual orientation and gender identity from the definition of sex discrimination. He called for a timeline to review protections against discrimination based on these two characteristics.
“It is one thing for the Bill to be silent on sexual orientation and gender identity and a very different thing for the Bill to expressly exclude sexual orientation and gender identity. Do we not feel this is a step back by reinforcing discrimination and promoting stigma against LGBTQ individuals?” Mr Ng added.
In response, Dr Tan stressed that workplace discrimination of any sort, including towards LGBT individuals, is not tolerated.
“Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices’ (Tafep) would continue to assist workers facing workplace discrimination, even if it falls outside the Bill,” he said.
“This Bill is the first step in introducing workplace fairness regime.”
He reassured members that while the Government cannot “resolve all the issues overnight”, it will continue to work on the Bill and improve it over time. “Please bear with us if we could not take your suggestions on board at this point in time. I seek your patience and understanding that we will take time to further build this regime.”