Singapore’s Workplace Fairness Act was passed by Parliament on 8 January 2025, with the companion Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Act passed on 4 November 2025. Commencement — the date from which employers face legal obligations — is expected by end-2027. That gives employers roughly 18 months to prepare. For most HR managers, that window is already running short.
This guide sets out what the WFA requires of Singapore employers, which organisations are covered, the protected characteristics that cannot lawfully inform employment decisions, the grievance-handling procedures that must be in place, and the practical steps HR teams should take now — well before the first enforcement date.
Why the Workplace Fairness Act Matters for Singapore Employers
Singapore has historically regulated employment discrimination through the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the Fair Consideration Framework, both of which are administrative rather than statutory. A breach of TAFEP guidelines could result in advisory letters, debarment from hiring foreigners, or public naming — but not court-enforceable claims by employees.
The WFA changes this fundamentally. For the first time, Singapore employees will have a statutory right to bring employment discrimination claims before the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) and, for larger claims, the High Court. Employers who fail to implement the required internal grievance procedures will face civil penalties. Those who retaliate against employees who raise complaints will face criminal liability.
For Singapore HR managers already managing obligations under the Employment Act, the Fair Consideration Framework, and — from July 2026 — the Local Qualifying Salary increase, the WFA adds a material new compliance layer. The good news is that well-run HR functions already practise most of what the WFA requires. The challenge is documenting and formalising those practices in a way that withstands scrutiny.
Who the Workplace Fairness Act Singapore Covers
Per the Workplace Fairness Act 2025, the Act applies to employers in Singapore with 25 or more employees at commencement. Employers with fewer than 25 employees may be partially exempt at commencement, with coverage to be extended to smaller employers in a subsequent phase following a post-commencement review.
The Act covers all phases of the employment relationship: recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment, access to training and development, performance assessment, promotion, and termination. Notably, it extends to job applicants — not just existing employees — meaning that discriminatory job advertisements, interview questions, and selection criteria are within scope.
The 12 Protected Characteristics
The WFA prohibits adverse employment decisions made on the ground of any of 12 protected characteristics. An employer commits an offence if a protected characteristic is the reason — or a reason — for an adverse decision, even if other legitimate reasons also apply:
Age — protecting workers of all ages from age-based discrimination, particularly relevant for older workers in Singapore’s re-employment context.
Nationality — relevant given Singapore’s workforce composition, but does not restrict employers from complying with Fair Consideration Framework requirements to fairly consider local candidates.
Sex — covering gender-based discrimination, including pay equity issues.
Race — extending the long-standing Tripartite Guidelines protection into statute.
Religion — including adverse decisions relating to religious observance and practice.
Language — protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of language spoken, subject to genuine occupational requirements.
Disability — physical or mental impairments that substantially limit major life activities.
Marital status — including discrimination against married or single employees.
Pregnancy status — extending protection to applicants and employees who are pregnant or have recently given birth.
Caregiving responsibilities — protecting employees with responsibilities for children, elderly dependants, or persons with disabilities from adverse decisions based on those responsibilities.
Mental health condition — a significant new category reflecting Singapore’s growing awareness of mental health in the workplace.
Union membership — consistent with existing protections under the Trade Unions Act.
Employer Obligations Across the Employment Lifecycle
Job Advertisements and Recruitment
Job advertisements must not specify or imply a preference based on any protected characteristic unless a genuine occupational requirement can be established. Common examples of non-compliant language include age ranges (“aged 25–40”), gender references (“he will manage”), nationality preferences (“preferably Singaporean Chinese”), and statements that disadvantage certain protected groups. HR teams should audit all active job templates and recruitment process documentation before commencement.
Selection and Interview Processes
Interview questions that probe protected characteristics — such as questions about marital plans, caregiving arrangements, religion, or national origin — are prohibited unless they relate to a genuine occupational requirement. Structured interview protocols with standardised, competency-based questions are the most defensible approach. For companies hiring foreign professionals on Employment Passes, compliance with the EP application process and the Fair Consideration Framework advertisement requirement must be documented separately from WFA compliance.
Terms, Conditions, and Pay
Differences in remuneration, benefits, or working conditions that are attributable to a protected characteristic rather than legitimate performance, seniority, or market factors are prohibited. This includes differences in bonus structures, promotion criteria, and access to training. Pay equity analysis — comparing remuneration across employees in similar roles by sex, race, and age — is strongly advisable before commencement.
Termination
The WFA adds a new layer to the already complex area of fair dismissal in Singapore. A termination that is significantly influenced by a protected characteristic — even where performance or redundancy reasons also exist — could be challenged as discriminatory. Documentation of the genuine business reason for termination, and evidence that the protected characteristic played no role, will be essential.
The Internal Grievance Procedure Requirement
Every employer covered by the WFA must implement an internal grievance handling procedure before the Act commences. This is not merely best practice — it is a statutory obligation. The procedure must:
Provide a clear channel for employees and job applicants to raise complaints of workplace discrimination. Require the employer to investigate complaints in a fair, timely, and confidential manner. Protect complainants from retaliation — the WFA specifically makes retaliation a criminal offence. Document the complaint, investigation, and outcome in a manner that can be produced to MOM or the ECT if required.
Under the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Act, mediation before an authorised mediator is mandatory before a complaint can be referred to the ECT. This means employers need to be prepared for formal mediation as a step in the dispute resolution process. The ECT can hear discrimination claims of up to SGD 250,000.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The Ministry of Manpower will enforce the WFA alongside the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices. Penalties include civil monetary penalties for employers who fail to implement the required grievance procedures or who commit workplace discrimination, and criminal penalties — including fines and imprisonment — for individuals who retaliate against employees who raise WFA complaints. The ECT can award compensation of up to SGD 250,000 per claim.
A Practical Pre-Commencement Checklist for Singapore HR Managers
With commencement expected by end-2027, here is what HR teams should prioritise now:
1. Audit all job advertisements and recruitment materials for discriminatory language or implied preferences based on protected characteristics. Update templates immediately.
2. Review and formalise interview processes — implement structured, competency-based interview frameworks with documentation requirements.
3. Conduct a pay equity analysis to identify unexplained remuneration gaps across sex, race, and age. Address gaps before commencement.
4. Draft a written workplace discrimination grievance procedure that meets the WFA requirements. Ensure it covers the full employment lifecycle including applicants.
5. Train all hiring managers and HR personnel on protected characteristics, permissible interview questions, and the internal grievance procedure.
6. Update employment contracts and HR policies to reference the WFA and the internal grievance channel.
7. Align with your MOM compliance calendar. Our Singapore HR MOM compliance calendar maps the full schedule of statutory obligations alongside which new WFA steps should be completed by which quarter.
Interaction with the Fair Consideration Framework
The WFA operates alongside the Fair Consideration Framework, which requires EP-hiring employers to advertise roles on MyCareersFuture.sg before hiring a foreigner, and to give fair consideration to Singaporean candidates. The FCF and the WFA address different risks — the FCF focuses on local-versus-foreigner hiring patterns at the firm level, while the WFA addresses individual-level discrimination based on protected characteristics.
An employer can be compliant with the FCF but breach the WFA, and vice versa. HR teams managing foreign hires should ensure their compliance calendar addresses both frameworks as separate obligations. For companies whose foreign hiring strategy involves Employment Passes, our guide on EOR and PEO arrangements in Singapore explains how employment structure affects compliance obligations.
Conclusion
The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 represents the most significant change to Singapore employment law in a generation. The 18-month window before commencement is not a reason to defer — it is the time in which well-prepared employers will build the procedures, documentation, and training programmes that will protect them from claims and penalties.
Singapore Employment Agency (MOM Licence No. 19C9790) provides advisory services on employment compliance, including assistance with Employment Pass and S Pass applications, workforce strategy, and MOM-related compliance. For entity-level corporate governance and HR structure advice, Raffles Corporate Services works alongside HR teams to ensure corporate structures support compliant employment practices.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency