In 2022, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), the agency that oversees the adoption of fair, responsible and progressive employment practices, received around 250 complaints of workplace discrimination, with the most common grounds of discrimination being discrimination on the basis of one’s nationality, age and sex.…
Category: Employment
Penalties for Workplace Safety and Health Offences in Singapore
As we enter the second half of 2022, workplace safety and health present a growing concern. The number of workplace fatalities has already reached a toll of 36, close to the 37 fatalities recorded in the whole of 2021, and surpassing the 30 deaths recorded in the whole of 2020.…
Can Employers Make COVID-19 Vaccination Compulsory in Singapore?
Even though the Singapore government has expressed that taking the COVID-19 vaccine is not compulsory, it has also emphasised the need to expand the nation’s vaccine coverage to build resilience against COVID-19. It has therefore been announced that employees in selected sectors must be fully vaccinated or undergo additional COVID-19…
Maid Abuse in Singapore: Getting Help and Legal Penalties
Singapore is one of the most popular work destinations for maids (i.e. Foreign Domestic Workers (FDW)) in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, 60% of maids working in Singapore report being exploited by their employers, according to a 2017 survey conducted by independent consultancy Research Across Borders. This includes excessive working hours, poor…
MOM outline new guidelines for sending a domestic worker home
If you have a domestic worker or plan to hire one, read this first! If you have house help, take note of these new guidelines for helpers after the end of their contracts, as outlined by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. The…
What is Garden Leave for Employees in Singapore?
What is Garden Leave? In Singapore, employees are sometimes placed on “garden leave” while serving their notice period. Garden leave is a period of time where the employer requests an employee not to report for work although the employee’s employment contract has not expired. Employers might wish to place their employees on…
Is Moonlighting Illegal in Singapore?
If you are an employee seeking additional income, you may be tempted to take up part-time jobs in addition to your full-time job. You may be thinking of signing up as a driver for an app-based carpooling service, or of volunteering your services as a part-time tutor. You are not…
Play the Game But Don’t be Played – A Guide to Esports Player Contracts
Safeguarding an Esports Team’s Assets More than 40 years ago, Stanford University organised the very first electronic sports (esports) tournament for the game Spacewar!, and the top prize for that tournament was a year’s subscription of ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine. Fast forward to 2018 where Newzoo, a leading provider of esports…
Don’t Dismiss an Employee for Misconduct Without Conducting a Due Inquiry
If an employee has misconducted himself at work, employers are often driven to dismiss that employee in a fit of anger. Under section 14(1) of the Employment Act however, employers are required to conduct a “due inquiry” before dismissing employees covered under the Employment Act without notice for misconduct. Alternatively,…
The New Workplace Tripartite Standards and How Your Business Can Benefit from Adopting Them
In recent months, the Ministry of Manpower has successively published Tripartite Standards that it jointly developed with the National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation. 4 of these standards are: Tripartite Standard on Employment of Term Contract Employees Tripartite Standard on Flexible Working Arrangements Tripartite Standard on Grievance…
