Singapore is introducing its first dedicated workplace anti-discrimination legislation. The Workplace Fairness Act moves the country from a system built on tripartite guidelines and voluntary standards to one with enforceable statutory protections against discrimination at work. For employers, this is a significant shift: practices that were previously governed by guidance will soon carry legal consequences. The time to prepare is now, well before the Act takes effect.
This guide explains what the Workplace Fairness Act covers, the protected characteristics, which employers are caught, the new obligations and redress mechanisms, and the practical steps businesses should take to get ready.
What Is the Workplace Fairness Act?
The Workplace Fairness Act is Singapore’s landmark legislation prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of specified protected characteristics. It was developed from recommendations by the tripartite partners — the Government, employers and unions — and passed by Parliament in early 2025, with a companion Act dealing with claims procedures passed later in 2025. The framework is expected to take effect around the end of 2027, giving businesses a runway to adapt their policies and practices.
Until now, fair employment in Singapore has been anchored by the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, administered by TAFEP. The new Act puts core protections on a statutory footing, backed by the Ministry of Manpower, so that discrimination becomes a matter of legal liability rather than guidance alone.
The Protected Characteristics
The Act prohibits adverse employment decisions made on the basis of the following protected characteristics:
- Age
- Nationality
- Sex, marital status, pregnancy status and caregiving responsibilities
- Race, religion and language
- Disability and mental health conditions
The protection applies across the entire employment lifecycle — recruitment and hiring, terms and conditions during employment, and dismissal. An employer cannot lawfully make an employment decision that adversely affects a person because of one of these characteristics.
Which Employers Are Covered?
At the outset, the Act is expected to apply to employers with 25 or more employees, with smaller employers given more time to adjust before the obligations extend to them. Even employers below the initial threshold should not ignore the legislation, because the existing Tripartite Guidelines continue to apply to all employers, and the direction of travel is clearly toward broader coverage over time.
New Obligations for Employers
The Act introduces several concrete obligations that go beyond the current guidelines:
| Obligation | What it means for employers |
|---|---|
| Non-discrimination | No adverse employment decisions based on protected characteristics |
| Grievance handling | Put in place proper processes for employees to raise discrimination complaints internally |
| Anti-retaliation | Employees who report discrimination in good faith must be protected from reprisal |
| Record-keeping | Maintain documentation supporting employment decisions |
There are recognised exceptions — for instance, where a genuine job requirement makes a particular characteristic relevant, or where measures favour certain groups in line with policy. But employers will need to be able to justify decisions objectively.
How Disputes Will Be Resolved
The companion legislation sets out how employees can seek redress. Discrimination claims are expected to be channelled through mediation at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management and, failing resolution, to the Employment Claims Tribunals, with the framework providing for compensation. This creates a real financial and reputational exposure for employers who get it wrong, and makes robust internal processes essential. This sits alongside existing avenues for other employment disputes — see our overview of retrenchment obligations for how fair-process principles already apply.
How This Interacts With Existing Rules
The Workplace Fairness Act does not replace the rest of Singapore’s employment framework — it adds to it. Employers still need to comply with the Employment Act, issue compliant employment contracts, meet obligations under the Fair Consideration Framework when hiring foreign talent, and observe the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements. The Act is best seen as the capstone of an increasingly formalised system of fair employment.
Recognised Exceptions
The Act is not intended to strip employers of legitimate business judgement. There are recognised carve-outs — for example, where a protected characteristic is a genuine and reasonable requirement of the job, or where an employer takes measures that favour particular groups in line with national policy objectives. Religious organisations and certain small employers also receive specific treatment. The key point for employers is that any decision touching a protected characteristic should be capable of objective justification on legitimate, documented grounds, rather than assumption or preference.
Why This Matters for Your Business
The shift from guidelines to statute changes the stakes. Under the current regime, a breach of the Tripartite Guidelines can lead to administrative action such as the curtailment of work-pass privileges. Under the Workplace Fairness Act, discrimination becomes a matter of legal liability with a formal claims process and compensation. That means the cost of getting it wrong is no longer only reputational — it is financial and legal. Employers who build fair, well-documented processes now will not only comply with the new law but also strengthen their ability to attract and retain talent in a competitive market, where candidates increasingly weigh an employer’s fairness and culture.
What Employers Should Do Now
- Audit your hiring practices. Review job advertisements, application forms and interview scripts for anything that could screen candidates on a protected characteristic.
- Update your policies. Put in place a written anti-discrimination policy and a clear grievance-handling procedure.
- Train managers. Anyone making hiring, promotion, pay or dismissal decisions should understand the protected characteristics and how to document decisions objectively.
- Strengthen record-keeping. Keep evidence of the legitimate business reasons behind employment decisions.
- Build an anti-retaliation culture. Make clear that employees who raise concerns in good faith will be protected.
You can review the legislation itself on Singapore Statutes Online and consult the resources published by the Ministry of Manpower.
How Raffles Corporate Services Can Help
We help employers prepare for the Workplace Fairness Act by reviewing HR policies, drafting anti-discrimination and grievance procedures, updating employment contracts and handbooks, and coordinating with employment law specialists where a matter needs formal legal advice. Get ahead of the change — reach us at [email protected] or +65 8501 7133.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. The Workplace Fairness Act framework is being implemented in stages; confirm the current position before acting.
— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services