Progress for Tripartite Advisory on Reasonable Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the progress of the Tripartite Advisory on reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, as raised by Mr Chong Kee Hiong. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng stated that the advisory, developed with community engagement, will be released alongside the introduction of the Workplace Fairness Legislation. He clarified that the advisory will complement the law prohibiting disability discrimination rather than being part of the legislation itself, working alongside the Enabling Masterplan. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng noted that accommodation effectiveness is measured by employment outcomes, though success involves collective effort from employers, co-workers, and families. The Ministry will engage stakeholders post-release to review and update the advisory to ensure it effectively strengthens employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Transcript
112 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the progress of the Tripartite Advisory on reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities; (b) what is the target date for the advisory to be ready; (c) whether the Ministry will consider including the advisory's guidelines as part of the Workplace Fairness Legislation; and (d) how will the Ministry measure whether a reasonable accommodation has been implemented effectively.
Dr Tan See Leng: The tripartite partners are working on an advisory which will provide guidance to employers and employees on the provision of reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. We will be engaging community groups in developing this advisory and aim to release this advisory around the same time as the introduction of the Workplace Fairness Legislation.
The most direct way of measuring the effectiveness of a workplace accommodation for employees with disabilities is by considering the employment outcome for the supported employee. In reality, however, it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of single initiatives as it often takes the collective effort of the individual, co-workers, employer and family for successful placement and continued employment. Following the release of the advisory, we will engage employers and employees to gather feedback, reviewing and updating the advisory to strengthen its effectiveness where needed.
The contents of the advisory will not be a part of the Workplace Fairness Legislation. Instead, the advisory will complement the new law, which will prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of disability. Both the advisory and upcoming law will work alongside the Enabling Masterplan to strengthen employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.