By the end of 2027, Singapore will introduce its first unified statutory framework to address workplace discrimination through two new laws, the Workplace Fairness Act and the Workplace Fairness Dispute Resolution Bill. Together, they will fundamentally change how employers recruit, manage, and exit staff, while giving employees a formal legal route to challenge discriminatory treatment.
Singapore is a major international employment hub, home to global technology and cybersecurity companies and a highly diverse workforce that includes large numbers of foreign workers. For any firm with an international focus, they will want to ensure consistent employment practices.
The Workplace Fairness Act 2025
The Workplace Fairness Act, passed in 2025, turns principles that previously existed under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices into binding legal obligations. Discrimination will be prohibited across the entire employment lifecycle, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluation, promotion, and dismissal. Protected characteristics include age, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy, caregiving responsibilities, race, religion, language ability, disability, and mental health conditions.
Organisations must be able to demonstrate that employment decisions are objective, consistent, and properly documented. HR processes, policies, and records will increasingly form part of the organisation’s compliance evidence base.
Under the Workplace Fairness Act, workplace discrimination becomes a civil breach. Employers may face administrative penalties, with serious cases attracting fines of up to S$50,000 and repeat breaches rising to S$250,000. This elevates discrimination risk to the same level as other regulated risk areas such as data protection or health and safety.
Employees can sue directly
The forthcoming Workplace Fairness Dispute Resolution Bill introduces a statutory tort of discrimination. In practical terms, employees and jobseekers will be able to sue employers directly for discriminatory conduct linked to protected characteristics. Claims can arise at any stage of the employment relationship, from recruitment decisions through to termination.
Decisions relating to hiring, promotions, performance ratings, or dismissals must be defensible, well documented, and aligned with policy. Informal practices or undocumented judgement calls will become increasingly difficult to justify under scrutiny. The new framework introduces a mandatory three-stage dispute resolution process. Every employer must maintain a clear internal grievance handling procedure, giving organisations the opportunity to resolve disputes before they escalate.
If internal resolution fails, claimants must proceed to mandatory mediation with the Commissioner for Workplace Fairness within strict time limits. Non-hire and end-of-employment disputes generally must be raised within one month, while in-employment disputes have a six-month window. These timeframes place additional operational pressure on HR and compliance teams to identify potential discrimination issues early and respond quickly.
If mediation does not resolve the dispute, claims move to adjudication. The Employment Claims Tribunal will hear cases up to S$250,000 under streamlined and private procedures, usually without legal representation. Claims above that threshold will be heard in the High Court, where legal representation is permitted.
Tight time limits and the need for evidence
The strict time bars embedded in the legislation increase the importance of accurate, date-stamped employment records. HR teams must ensure that organisations can demonstrate when decisions were made, how they were communicated, and what factors were considered. This is particularly relevant in organisations employing foreign workers or operating across borders, where employment practices may vary and oversight can be fragmented.
The framework includes protections for employers against frivolous or duplicative claims. Both the Employment Claims Tribunal and the High Court can strike out claims without merit, impose adverse cost orders, and prevent the same claim from being pursued in multiple forums. However, these safeguards do not reduce the need for strong internal controls. Compliance teams should assume that genuine claims will proceed and prepare accordingly.
What Singapore-based compliance and HR teams should be doing now
With implementation expected by the end of 2027, organisations have the next 18 months to prepare. Compliance teams should work closely with HR to align grievance procedures, recruitment practices, performance management processes, and termination workflows with the new statutory framework. Manager training should focus not only on awareness of protected characteristics but also on documentation, consistency, and defensible decision-making.
For organisations operating in Singapore’s international employment market, early preparation is particularly important. Diverse workforces, cross-border hiring, and global visibility increase both regulatory exposure and reputational impact. Treating workplace fairness as a compliance issue, rather than a purely cultural one, will be essential.
