HR sector prepares to meet provisions of Workplace Fairness Bill

Training and resources to help equip employers with the necessary guidance

- Sharon Salim

Human resources (HR) groups have given their thumbs-up for the landmark Bill tackling workplace discrimination that was passed in Parliament on Jan 8, giving workers greater protection against biases on grounds like age, race and nationality.

But they noted that more can be done to better protect workers' rights, especially for smaller businesses with fewer than 25 employees, which will be excluded from the legislation for five years after it comes into effect.

The Workplace Fairness Bill specifies that it is unlawful to make employment decisions, such as hiring, firing and appraisals, based on five sets of characteristics:

• Age

• Nationality

• Sex, marital status, pregnancy status and caregiving responsibilities

• Race, religion and language

• Disability and mental health conditions

Under the legislation, employers will also have to set up grievance-handling processes and inform employees about the procedures.

Employers must conduct inquiries, document the process and communicate the outcome to aggrieved employees, whose confidentiality must also be assured.

The legislation will prohibit retaliation - such as dismissals, salary deductions or harassment against staff who report workplace discrimination.