Taking a stand against workplace discrimination

Experts from Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) share three steps towards creating a fair and inclusive workplace.

All of us want to work in a workplace where we are not judged based on biases and stereotypes. How do we achieve this? The first step is to recognise and acknowledge that we all have biases which may play out in our everyday interactions and behaviours at work, whether it’s conscious or not.

Being fair and inclusive

Everyone has a part to play in making our workplace fair and inclusive. This can mean not judging others based on their age, race, gender, religion, marital status and family responsibilities, or disability. Appreciate employees for the unique value they bring to the workplace and tap on those differences to add value to the organisation. This will allow both the individual and organisation to flourish and help create a better and happier workplace.

Making the Fair@Work Promise

Whether we are an employer or employee, we can all take the first step towards ending discrimination in the workplace by making the Fair@Work Promise. This is a personal commitment to be fair and inclusive at the workplace, and not to judge people based on stereotypes or biases, but rather to see them for their abilities.

Realising the benefits of being a fair employer

Beyond just showing your commitment to be fair at the workplace, employers should also adopt fair employment practices by adhering to the five principles in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices:

1. Recruit and select employees based on merit – such as skills, experience or ability to perform the job – regardless of age, race, gender, religion, marital status and family responsibilities, or disability.
2. Treat employees fairly and with respect, as well as implement progressive human resource management systems.
3. Provide employees with equal opportunity to be considered for training and development based on their strengths and needs to help them achieve their full potential.
4. Reward employees fairly based on their ability, performance, contribution and experience.
5. Comply with labour laws and adopt the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

The adoption of the Tripartite Standards is another way in which employers can distinguish themselves as having good employment practices across different functional areas, for example, recruitment practices.

By adopting the above, employers will be assured access to a wider pool of job candidates. This also ensures the best available person is hired. In this way, the abilities and potential of employees are maximised, resulting in improved productivity and overall staff morale.

Everyone has a part to play, and every little effort counts in making a positive difference at the workplace. Let’s show our support for a fair and inclusive workplace today!

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For more information on the Tripartite Standards, visit tafep.sg/tripartite-standards.

This article appeared in Human Resources, Singapore, June-July edition.Read it here: