You know with our society moving to a more “woke” one, there will be a lot of people with differences working together in the workplace. Not just say race, language or religion – now sexuality la, ideology la all also must think about one leh.
The Government, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and NTUC gave the update through a join release saying that the existing Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) will be ZNG-ed some time in mid-February 2023 to cover additional guidelines for employers and employees on exercising sensitivity at the workplace, especially on activities that are not related to work.
Why is it important to have additional guidelines on workplace harmony?
As the world changes, we see employers and employees all around the world doing more to support various causes in the workplace (think Pride, Environmental Causes etc). These causes are often unrelated to the primary business of the employer or the job that employees are hired to do.
We don’t want it to get to a stage where workplace harmony is disrupted due to differing personal beliefs, despite it being unrelated to the core work of the employer. Imagine you like to eat cai png, but your ang-moh colleague don’t like to eat cai-png, then they have No Cai Png Month. Then how leh? You want to get outcasted because you like to eat cai png meh. No right?
That’s why these guidelines are important lah. NTUC Assistant-Secretary General Patrick Tay also got post on his Facebook about this:
What are some additional guidelines that will be included in the TGFEP?
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Manpower, the new guidelines include the following:
- Employers should be sensitive to the diverse cultures, values, and beliefs of their employees when developing, promoting, or implementing events, programs and policies that are not related to work.
- Support for any cause should not lead to bullying, harassment, or ostracism at the workplace in any circumstances. Employers should provide employees with a safe environment to raise their concerns, including through a proper grievance-handling process.
- Employees and job seekers should be assessed for performance, promotion and related areas based only on work-related requirements, as stipulated in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.
- Employees should not be required or pressured to participate in events, programmes and policies that are not related to work. Non-support or non-participation should not affect their employment outcomes.
- Employers should continue to demonstrate and communicate the importance of an inclusive and harmonious workplace.
Basically these employers should not penalise an employee for not wanting to participate in work events / causes if it clashes with their personal beliefs. Bullying also cannot hor.
If you these guidelines are not enough, you can go reach out to the TGFEP directly.
For employers or employees who face issues at the workplace, you can directly reach out to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) at www.tal.sg/tafep/contact-us.
