Monitoring Compliance to Workplace Fairness Act Requirements and Educating Companies on Statutory Tort of Discrimination
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim’s inquiry regarding the Ministry of Manpower’s strategies for monitoring Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) compliance and educating employers on the statutory tort of discrimination. Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng stated that the Ministry will track pre- and in-employment discrimination claims via the Employment Standards Report and continue regular surveys on fair employment practices. To support compliance, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) began monthly briefings in September 2025 and is partnering with employer federations and human resource institutes for outreach. TAFEP is also developing comprehensive materials, such as guides and e-learning modules, to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises and firms without dedicated human resource staff. These initiatives are designed to ensure companies are familiar with the procedural aspects of the WFA to prevent non-compliance.
Transcript
58 Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the Ministry's plans to monitor the effectiveness of companies in ensuring the requirements of the Workplace Fairness Act are met; and (b) how will the Ministry ensure that companies are familiar with the procedural aspects of the statutory tort of discrimination in order to prevent non-compliance.
Dr Tan See Leng: Today, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducts regular surveys on fair employment practices to monitor the prevalence of workplace discrimination. MOM's annual Employment Standards Report (ESR) also publishes the incidence of wrongful dismissal claims which includes discrimination-based dismissals, and how they have been resolved. We intend to continue with such monitoring of workplace discrimination and are studying ways to augment the efforts, such as by additionally tracking pre- and in-employment discrimination claims in the ESR when the Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) is in effect.
The Ministry recognises that raising awareness and educating employers on their responsibilities under the WFA is essential for compliance. To achieve this, we are stepping up our employer education efforts. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has started monthly WFA briefings for employers since September 2025. TAFEP is also partnering with the Singapore National Employers Federation, the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, the Singapore Human Resources Institute and Trade Associations and Chambers to conduct outreach and educate employers on the new legislation.
TAFEP is also developing comprehensive materials including step-by-step guides, templates and HR e-learning modules that companies can integrate into their corporate training programmes. This would include resources that would support small- and medium-sized enterprises and companies without dedicated HR personnel.