What the Workplace Fairness Act means for your organisation.
Fair employment has moved from guidance to law. This is a plain-language employer guide to what changes, what you must be able to evidence, and how to close the gap before it is tested.
The verified position
Every figure below is drawn from our public evidence registry, with the issuing body named.
Legislative milestone; enforcement follows a transition period.
Source: Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · 2025
View sourceAge; nationality; sex, marital status, pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities; race, religion and language; disability and mental health conditions.
Source: Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · 2025
View sourceCovered employers must put in place a process to handle grievances and keep records.
Source: Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · 2025
View sourceSmaller employers are temporarily exempt, then covered.
Source: Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · 2025
View sourceBaseline fair employment expectations that precede and complement the Act.
Source: TAFEP · 2024
View sourceEmployer duty of care extends to psychological wellbeing at work.
Source: Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · 2024
View sourceWhat employers must be able to demonstrate
The practical test is not whether you intended to be fair. It is whether you can show it — consistently, in writing, months or years after the decision was made.
- Fair, non-discriminatory employment decisions across the employee lifecycle
- A documented grievance handling process employees can actually access
- Records that evidence how decisions and complaints were handled
- Protection from retaliation for people who raise concerns
- Leadership and manager capability to apply the process consistently
Frequently asked questions
What is the Workplace Fairness Act?
Singapore's Workplace Fairness Act sets statutory expectations that employment decisions are made fairly and that employers handle grievances properly, moving fair employment from guidance into law.
Which characteristics are protected?
The Act covers age; nationality; sex, marital status, pregnancy status and caregiving responsibilities; race, religion and language; and disability and mental health conditions.
Does it apply to small employers?
Smaller employers receive a transition period before coverage applies. Fair employment expectations under the Tripartite Guidelines apply to every employer in the meantime.
What do employers actually have to do?
In practice: make and document fair employment decisions, put a grievance handling process in place, keep records, protect people who raise concerns from retaliation, and be able to evidence all of it.
How is psychological safety related to compliance?
Compliance depends on issues surfacing early enough to be handled well. If employees do not feel safe raising concerns internally, the first time leadership hears about a problem is often when it has already escalated.
This guide is general information for employers, not legal advice. Organisations should take their own advice on how the legislation applies to their circumstances.