Implementing Tripartite Standards on Managing Workplace Abuse and Harassment
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms K Thanaletchimi’s inquiry into whether tripartite standards on managing workplace abuse and harassment will be implemented and if existing advisories will be reformulated as guidelines. Minister for Manpower Mrs Josephine Teo highlighted the existing multi-pronged approach, referencing the Protection from Harassment Act and the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment. She noted that the Tripartite Standard on Grievance Handling already outlines verifiable practices for managing harassment grievances, with over 630 employers covering 380,000 employees having pledged adoption. Employers adopting this Standard commit to clear processes for investigating and resolving grievances to ensure all workplace harassment incidents are adequately and effectively dealt with by management. Employees are encouraged to report harassment to their employers, the Ministry of Manpower, or the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices, or seek redress through legal channels.
Transcript
33 Ms K Thanaletchimi asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will consider having tripartite standards on managing workplace abuse and harassment; and (b) if so, whether a review will be conducted to formulate the existing Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment as a set of guidelines.
Mrs Josephine Teo: We take a multi-pronged approach in protecting employees from workplace harassment. The Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) was introduced in 2014, followed by the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment in 2015.
In October last year, the Tripartite Standard on Grievance Handling was introduced. This Standard specifies a set of verifiable and actionable employment practices that companies can follow to manage workplace grievances more effectively. Employers adopting this Standard are committed to putting in place clear processes for handling their employees' grievances to ensure they are adequately dealt with. The same processes apply to grievances regarding workplace harassment. To date, more than 630 employers, which collectively employ about 380,000 employees, have pledged to uphold this Standard. We look forward to the strong support of our tripartite partners to promote adoption of the Standard to benefit more workers.
We urge all employees who experience any workplace harassment to promptly report such incidents to their employers, so that the management can conduct proper investigations. Affected employees can also report such incidents to the Ministry of Manpower or the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) or seek redress through the Courts or Police.