New anti-discrimination law against workers hailed as 'positive step'
Singapore's Parliament passed on Wednesday a landmark legislation that prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals at work.
The Workplace Fairness Bill gathered unanimous support from Members of Parliament after two days of debate that pooled their feedback and suggestions, Channel News Asia reported.
The new legislation, set to take effect in 2026 or 2027, aims to protect individuals from discrimination by employers on the ground of the following categories:
"The Bill protects against workplace discrimination by prohibiting adverse employment decisions on the grounds of any protected characteristic," the Ministry of Manpower said in a statement. "Such adverse employment decisions include hiring, appraisal, training, promotion, and dismissal decisions."
MOM added that the Bill will also push more firms to establish grievance-handling processes professionally and sensitively.
"This will help foster a safe and conducive space for employers and workers to discuss sensitive or difficult issues," MOM said.
The new legislation comes amid a continuous decline in discrimination cases against employees and jobseekers over the past years.
The Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) hailed the Bill's passing as a "positive step" for the country.
"We look forward to supporting all employers in their journey to establish fair and inclusive workplaces," the SNEF said in a statement. "In doing so, employers will benefit from better talent attraction and retention, a more engaged workforce and ultimately better productivity to drive business competitiveness."
Patrick Tay, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress, hailed the passing of the Workplace Fairness Bill as a "significant milestone" in protecting Singapore's employees.
"It is important to strengthen the Singaporean core in the workforce," Tay said in a statement. "NTUC, together with our unions, will continue to do our part to ensure our workers are protected and given fair opportunities at work."
