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Written Answer by Mrs Josephine Teo Minister for Manpower to PQ on complaints of and action taken against employment discrimination

Employment practices

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1937 OF 2019 FOR THE SITTING ON 6 JANUARY 2020
QUESTION NO. 1535 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Assoc Prof Walter Theseira

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the refusal by employers in the retail sector to interview and/or hire a qualified job applicant on grounds that he or she wears articles of religious faith constitutes a violation of the Tripartite Guidelines on Progressive and Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP); (b) how many complaints of discrimination on these grounds has TAFEP received in the past five years, broken down by industry; and (c) what actions has TAFEP taken against these employers.

Answer

  1.  All employers are expected to abide by the principles of fair employment practices set out in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP), which makes it clear that recruitment and hiring practices are to be based on merit and the ability to perform the job. Religious wear should generally be allowed at workplaces, unless employers have uniform or dress code requirements which are suited to the nature of their work, or for operational and safety reasons. Such requirements should then be communicated and explained clearly to employees as well as job applicants.
  2. In the past five years, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) received a total of 16 complaints related to the wearing of religious articles, or less than 1% of all the complaints received. Table 1 shows the breakdown by industry of the complaints received.

    Table 1: Breakdown by industry of complaints related to the wearing of religious articles (2014 - 2018)
    Industry Complaints received
    (2014-2018)
    Services (i.e. Wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food service, other services)   9
     Health & Social Activities  4
     Private Education  3
     Total  16
  3. Most complaints arose due to insensitivity on the part of the employer or interviewer in communicating company’s dress code and practices. All the employers have heeded TAFEP’s advice and made the necessary rectifications to their employment practices.
  4. TAFEP investigates all complaints of workplace discrimination, including unreasonable restrictions against religious wear, and will work with the Ministry of Manpower to take enforcement actions against substantiated complaints.