Workplace Fairness Act 2025 — employer obligations — Costs and fees breakdown

The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 introduces statutory protection against workplace discrimination in Singapore, placing clear obligations on employers. In practice, employers must not make employment decisions based on protected characteristics such as age, nationality, sex, race, religion, disability or family status, and must handle grievances fairly.

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.

What the Workplace Fairness Act does

The Act moves Singapore from a guidelines-based approach to a statutory framework, prohibiting discrimination in hiring, appraisal, promotion and dismissal on the basis of specified protected characteristics. It complements, rather than replaces, the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. See our related guide, Multi-jurisdiction family office structures — Timeline and processing benchmarks, for more detail.

It sets expectations for grievance handling and protects employees who report discrimination from retaliation, while preserving room for genuine occupational requirements.

Who it applies to

The framework applies broadly to employers across sectors, with proportionate treatment for smaller businesses during the transition. Employers of all sizes should review their recruitment, appraisal and dismissal practices against the protected characteristics. See our related guide, Singapore bank account opening — DBS, OCBC, UOB, Wise, Aspire — Timeline and processing benchmarks, for more detail.

Foreign talent hiring is affected: nationality is a protected characteristic, and job advertisements and selection must be demonstrably fair.

Employer obligations and requirements

Employers should ensure job advertisements are non-discriminatory, that selection criteria are merit-based, and that grievance processes are documented and accessible. Records supporting employment decisions become important evidence of fair practice.

Managers and HR should be trained on the protected characteristics and on handling complaints without retaliation. Policies should be updated to reflect the statutory obligations.

Refer to the official guidance. Refer to the official guidance.

Cost and timeline benchmarks

Compliance cost is mainly in policy review and training rather than fees. The larger exposure is reputational and financial if a discrimination claim is upheld, so early preparation is prudent.

Workplace fairness act 2025 — costs, timelines and thresholds

  • Protected characteristics covered: age, nationality, sex, marital and family status, race, religion, disability and more
  • Employer records to keep: selection and appraisal evidence
  • Policy review lead time: 4 to 8 weeks recommended
  • Training: all hiring managers and HR
  • Approach: align with existing Tripartite Guidelines

Step-by-step compliance approach

Audit current recruitment and HR practices, update policies to align with the protected characteristics, train hiring managers, implement a documented grievance procedure, and keep records of employment decisions. Review templates for advertisements and appraisals.

Phasing the changes before the obligations take full effect gives the organisation time to embed fair practices rather than react to complaints.

Common mistakes and gotchas

Frequent gaps include discriminatory job advertisement wording, informal selection criteria that cannot be evidenced, and grievance processes that expose complainants to retaliation. Treating the Act as identical to the old guidelines understates the statutory teeth. See our related guide, Workplace Fairness Act Singapore: A Complete Employer Playbook for 2026–2027, for more detail.

Employers hiring foreign talent often review their work pass strategy alongside fair employment compliance.

Relevant legislation

The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 establishes statutory protection against workplace discrimination on specified protected characteristics.

The Employment Act 1968 sets the baseline statutory terms of employment that operate alongside the fair employment framework.

FAQs

What does the Workplace Fairness Act prohibit?
It prohibits discrimination in employment decisions based on protected characteristics such as age, nationality, sex, race, religion, disability and family status.

Does it replace the Tripartite Guidelines?
No. It complements the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices by giving statutory force to key protections.

Are small employers covered?
The framework applies broadly, with proportionate treatment for smaller businesses during the transition.

What should employers do first?
Audit recruitment and HR practices, update policies, train managers and put a documented grievance process in place.

Related guides

Need help with this? Call, SMS or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133, or email [email protected]. Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.

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