Tripartite Standards in Singapore – do you meet the mark?

Over the past decade, the expectations of the Singapore workforce have changed dramatically. A greater understanding of what constitutes fair and progressive employment practices, along with more public recognition of organisations that have implemented good human resource practices, have led job seekers to gravitate towards these employers.

Technological disruptions and digitalisation have also changed the way organisations conduct their businesses and enabled more flexible work options for employees. Together with other factors such as the rising expectations of job seekers and employees, employees being better educated and well-informed, and a greater willingness of employees to challenge traditional company structures and norms, talent attraction and retention have become constant concerns for employers.

Employers need to be aware that employees who are disenchanted with their current work situation are likely to keep an eye open for alternative employment opportunities. Therefore, it’s in the interest of employers to implement and communicate fair and progressive employment practices to employees, and also seek to be publicly recognised for these good practices.

Having a recognisable set of employment standards can help employers achieve these goals.

Jointly developed by the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, the Tripartite Standards is a new initiative which helps employers with good practices distinguish themselves.

The Tripartite Standards complement laws, Tripartite Guidelines and Advisories to increase the adoption of fair and progressive workplace practices in Singapore.

Check if you, as an employer, are equipped for the newly launched Tripartite Standard on the Employment of Term Contract Employees:

As part of the first series of Tripartite Standards to be rolled out this year, the Tripartite Standard on the Employment of Term Contract Employees was launched on 31 July 2017, with more to come over the next few months.

Each Tripartite Standard comprises a set of verifiable, actionable employment practices across different functional areas (for example, term contract employment and flexible work arrangements) that progressive employers should adopt. Each of these Standards has been approved and issued by the tripartite partners.

Employers who have adopted the Tripartite Standards will be able to differentiate themselves in specific key employment and workplace practices that the workforce would look for, thereby enhancing the employers’ ability to attract and retain manpower. These employers can use the relevant Tripartite Standards logomarks in their job advertisements and marketing collaterals, and their names will be listed on TAFEP’s website.

Interested job seekers can easily check the list on TAFEP’s website to see who has adopted the Tripartite Standards and for which functional area. Partner organisations will also recognise the employer as an organisation of good standing in their HR practices.

While the adoption of the Tripartite Standards is voluntary, employers are encouraged to adopt all relevant Tripartite Standards if they are able to meet the specifications. Each Tripartite Standard may be adopted independently, and there is no limit or minimum requirement to the total number of Tripartite Standards that an organisation may adopt.

To assess whether employers meet the specifications, TAFEP has provided self-assessment checklists for the Tripartite Standards. Employers may also visit TAFEP’s website or email ts@tafep.sg to find out more.