Workplace Fairness Act 2025: What Singapore Employers Need to Know Before It Commences

What are these two Acts, in plain English?

For the first time, Singapore has dedicated anti-discrimination legislation for the workplace. The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 (WFA) prohibits employers from making employment decisions that adversely affect an individual because of a protected characteristic. It was passed in Parliament on 8 January 2025.

The Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Act 2025 was passed on 4 November 2025. It sets up the process for handling claims under the WFA, with mediation as the first step.

Before these Acts, workplace discrimination in Singapore was governed by the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, which were advisory. The WFA converts the core principles into statutory obligations with enforcement consequences.

Who is covered by the Workplace Fairness Act?

The Act regulates employers and applies to employment decisions that adversely affect individuals because of a protected characteristic. It covers three stages of the employment relationship:

1. Hiring decisions
2. Decisions during employment (for example promotion, training, appraisal)
3. Dismissal, retrenchment and termination

Most provisions do not apply to employers below a prescribed size, which is to be set by subsidiary legislation. The MOM Fact Sheet issued at the Bill’s first reading explained that the exemption is intended to give smaller employers time to adjust. The Tripartite Guidelines continue to apply to everyone.

Which characteristics are protected?

The Act groups the protected characteristics into five categories:

1. Age
2. Nationality
3. Sex, marital status, pregnancy status, and caregiving responsibilities
4. Race, religion, and language
5. Disability and mental health condition

Two things are worth emphasising. First, caregiving responsibilities is a relatively novel protected characteristic, reflecting Singapore’s ageing population and sandwich generation. Second, mental health condition is explicitly protected, which will require employers to be careful about how medical information is used in decision-making.

What counts as discrimination under the Act?

An employer commits discrimination when it makes an employment decision that adversely affects a person on the ground of a protected characteristic, or on two or more grounds at least one of which is a protected characteristic. That last point is important: mixed-motive decisions (for example, a dismissal that is part performance-related and part pregnancy-related) can still be unlawful.

There are exceptions. Genuine occupational requirements, positive action to redress disadvantage, and certain religious employer decisions are permitted, subject to the conditions in the Act.

How will claims be handled?

The MOM Fact Sheet on the Dispute Resolution Bill sets out a three-stage process:

1. Internal grievance handling. Employers will be required to have a grievance handling process.
2. Mediation. If the internal process does not resolve the dispute, the employee may request mediation by an approved mediator, including at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).
3. Employment Claims Tribunals. If mediation fails, the mediator issues a claim referral certificate and the claim may be heard by the Employment Claims Tribunals. Certain civil penalty claims may also be brought by the Commissioner for Workplace Fairness.

What should employers do now?

In my practice advising employers and former employers, these are the four steps I recommend before commencement.

1. Review job advertisements and hiring templates

Check for language that could be read as preferring or excluding people on a protected ground. Common culprits include age bands, language that implies a preferred nationality, and physical requirements not justified by the role. The TAFEP guidelines remain a helpful starting point.

2. Audit dismissal and retrenchment documentation

Wrongful dismissal claims under the Employment Act 1968 will continue alongside discrimination claims under the WFA. The same dismissal can be challenged on both fronts. Good contemporaneous records of performance concerns, warnings, and decision-making rationale are the best protection.

3. Build a clear grievance handling process

The WFA framework assumes employers have a process to receive, investigate, and respond to complaints. A one-page policy is not enough. Document how complaints are received, who investigates, timelines for response, and how outcomes are communicated.

4. Train line managers

Most discrimination claims start with a line manager saying or writing something they should not have. Train managers on the protected characteristics, the concept of mixed-motive decisions, and the importance of keeping performance records contemporaneous.

How does this fit with the Employment Act and the Tripartite Guidelines?

The Workplace Fairness Act does not replace the Employment Act 1968. It sits alongside it. The Ministry of Law has indicated that existing wrongful dismissal and salary claim routes continue unchanged. The WFA adds a new, parallel route for discrimination claims.

The Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices also continue to apply, particularly to employers below the size threshold, and to matters not expressly covered by the WFA.

Key dates

• 12 November 2024: Workplace Fairness Bill (No. 50/2024) introduced in Parliament
• 8 January 2025: Workplace Fairness Bill passed
• 14 October 2025: Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill (No. 17/2025) introduced
• 4 November 2025: Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill passed
• To be determined by subsidiary legislation: Commencement date

Frequently asked questions

When does the Workplace Fairness Act come into force?

Both Acts were passed by Parliament but were listed as uncommenced on Singapore Statutes Online as at April 2026. The commencement date will be appointed by notice in the Gazette.

Which protected characteristics are covered?

Five groups: age; nationality; sex, marital status, pregnancy, caregiving; race, religion, language; and disability and mental health condition.

Does the Act apply to small employers?

Most provisions exempt employers below a prescribed size, which will be set by subsidiary legislation. The Tripartite Guidelines continue to apply to everyone.

What is the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Act 2025?

The companion Act that sets up the mediation-first dispute resolution process for WFA claims, leading to the Employment Claims Tribunals if unresolved.

What should employers do before commencement?

Review hiring advertisements, audit dismissal procedures, build a documented grievance handling process, and train line managers on the protected characteristics.

Johnathan Lee is an Advocate & Solicitor practising at Fong & Fong LLC. He previously served as a Ministry of Manpower prosecutor, handling employment offences and workplace safety and health prosecutions, and later spent some time assisting in his family’s business. He now advises employers and employees on employment law matters. Connect on LinkedIn.

This article is general information based on publicly available sources as of 22 April 2026 and is not legal advice. Statutory provisions and their commencement may change. For advice on your specific situation, please consult a qualified lawyer.