Cross-Border Catch-Up: Unpacking Singapore’s Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill

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Goli Rahimi: Hello, and welcome to the Cross-Border Catch-Up, the podcast for global employers who want to stay in the know about cutting-edge employment issues worldwide. My name is Goli Rahimi, and I’m here with my wonderful colleague, Kate Thompson. We are both cross-border attorneys here at Ogletree. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at major developments in Singapore’s workplace law, the new Workplace Fairness Dispute Resolution Bill, which has been introduced as part of the Broader Workplace Fairness Act. Kate, thank you so much for joining us today.

Kate Thompson: Of course, Goli. Thank you for having me. So, before we jump into the specifics of the bill, I think it would be really helpful for us to set the scene. So, as you mentioned, the Workplace Fairness Dispute Resolution Bill is actually part of a bigger package called the Workplace Fairness Act of 2025. So, note that although the Workplace Fairness Act was passed several months ago, an exact effective date has not yet been announced. The current expectation is that it will take effect sometime in 2027, though the precise timing remains uncertain. The act is made up of two bills. So, the first bill passed in January of 2025, and it set out what workplace discrimination actually means, so what counts as protected characteristics and what employers are required to do. Then, in November of this year, Parliament passed the Dispute Resolution Bill, which is all about how disputes get handled when a discrimination claim comes up.
So put together, these two bills create a whole new framework for dealing with discrimination in the workplace, from defining the problem to figuring out how to resolve it. In short, bill one is focused on substantive rights, while bill two is focused on procedural rights and dispute resolution. And what’s really groundbreaking here is that the workplace fairness will no longer rely solely on voluntary company policies or internal guidelines. It’s now going to be governed by a formal legal framework that mandates how employers must handle grievances, how workers can raise their concerns, and how disputes will be resolved. The government frames the Workplace Fairness Act as a balanced and sure-footed approach to address workplace discrimination that is beneficial for workers, employers, and Singapore.

Goli Rahimi: That’s awesome. And that’s a really helpful background that you gave us, Kate, and I think it’s important to keep all this in mind because, like you said, even though the effective date is still in the future, it’s really important to kind of know these things upfront to be able to prepare. So, with that in mind, at least my understanding is that the bill introduces major changes in three key areas. First, it’s the grievance and dispute resolution framework. Second, the tribunal and adjudication process, and then finally, procedural safeguards and obligations for both employers and employees. Can you tell us a little bit more about this?

Kate Thompson: Yeah, absolutely. So, let’s start with the grievance and dispute resolution process. So, the bill formalizes how workplace fairness disputes must be handled and introduces required internal grievance procedures and mediation steps before the actual claims are escalated. So, specifically, every employer will be required to have a grievance handling process in place. So, in other words, employees must have a clear internal channel where they can raise discrimination concerns. And then if that internal process doesn’t resolve the issue, the next step is mediation via a third-party mediator, and this is mandatory before a formal claim can actually proceed. And then only if mediation fails does the matter actually go to adjudication. And the idea is to encourage early resolution, preserve employment relationships, and avoid heavy litigation whenever possible. So, second is the tribunal and adjudication framework. So, the bill expands and refines the jurisdiction of the employment claims tribunals, or ECT, which is essentially a judge-led forum with simplified procedures where most parties are generally not allowed to have legal representation to handle workplace fairness claims.
Currently, the ECT can only hear claims up to 20,000 Singapore dollars or 30,000 if both sides have gone through mediation. That’s roughly 16 to 23,000 U.S. dollars. But once this new act takes effect, the cap will increase dramatically to 250,000 Singapore dollars, which is about 192,000 U.S. dollars. Claims above 250,000 Singapore dollars will be required to be filed in the high court of Singapore, which has formal rules and allows for legal representation, and hearings will also be held in private, which really reflects the sensitive nature of discrimination claims. And then last but not least, we’ll talk about obligations and safeguards. So, while these are more central to the main Workplace Fairness Act, the dispute resolution bill amends and reinforces those obligations, especially by adding procedural safeguards, confidentiality protections, and anti-retaliation measures for workers.
So, the bill strengthens protections. Employers cannot make adverse employment decisions, so think hiring, promotion, termination, based on protected traits like age, nationality, sex, religion, disability, or even caregiving responsibilities. At the same time, there are protections for employers, so the bill allows employers to strike out frivolous or vexatious claims, pursue claims against employees who abuse the process, and investigate those who misuse the system. The objective here is threefold, access to justice plus maintaining workplace harmony and preventing persistent non-meritorious claims.

Goli Rahimi: Wow. That is a very excellent breakdown and quite helpful. So now let’s go ahead and turn over to the employer perspective. So, Kate, would you be so kind as to walk us through why this new legislation matters and what employers should really be mindful of?

Kate Thompson: Yes, absolutely. So, for employers, this really is a signal that Singapore is taking workplace fairness to the next level. It’s not just about having policies on paper anymore. It’s about making sure that those policies actually work. So, you’ll want to consider whether your internal processes for handling grievances are clear, fair, and accessible, because if employees don’t feel heard internally, that’s when issues can really escalate under this new framework. So, this may mean that your managers and HR teams will need better guidance to detect discrimination. What counts as a protected trait, and how can you respond appropriately when concerns are raised? The good news is that the act is built around early resolution and dialogue. So, this means that if you handle things well internally, then you can avoid the cost and disruption of formal proceedings, which is better for everyone’s morale and for business continuity. So overall, this is about embedding fairness and inclusion into the way that you operate, not just because it’s a legal requirement, but because it’s really the right way to build a resilient and a trusted workplace.

Goli Rahimi: So, now that we understand why this matters, what are some things that companies may want to consider doing now in order to get ready for 2027 or even later when the act goes into effect?

Kate Thompson: Yeah, great question. Since the act won’t take effect until 2027 at the earliest, like you said, there’s really time to get your house in order. So, a few practical things that employers may want to consider doing now includes reviewing their grievance policies, training managers and HR, and auditing existing HR practices to ensure legal compliance. That way, by the time the law actually comes into force, you’re not scrambling. You’re already operating in line with its spirit.

Goli Rahimi: Now, would you say there are any other considerations that maybe we haven’t covered yet, but that you think are really key to point out before we wrap up?

Kate Thompson: Yeah, absolutely. There are definitely a few that I think are important that we highlight. So, the first is time bars and procedural requirements. So, under the new law, if someone wants to bring a claim, they need to submit a request for mediation within a set timeframe. So, the idea here is twofold. First, it encourages people to come forward while the details are still fresh, which really makes the process fair for everyone. And second, it gives employers some certainty that old incidents won’t suddenly resurface years later, and that really helps in planning and managing risk. So, for example, when we talk about time bars, it ultimately depends on the stage of employment. So just as an example, think in the pre-employment stage, so hiring, the deadline to submit a mediation request is one month, whereas the end of employment, the deadline to submit a mediation request would be a month after the last day of employment. So, it really varies depending on what stage you’re in. The next thing I’d like to touch on is balance between access and harmony. So, the bill emphasizes amicable resolution and maintaining workplace harmony. This should really come as no surprise. This is something that most employers hope for. However, despite the language in the bill, the reality is that many workplaces will still need to navigate any tension between fairness and their workflow. And then last but not least, employer preparation or lack thereof. So, some smaller businesses may not yet have well-developed grievance channels, and the delayed implementation of the act along with the phased compliance deadlines, this should help to give them time to build out their processes. However, those who delay further, they could really face significant risks once the new law takes effect.

Goli Rahimi: This has been really great. So, I think to wrap all this up, Kate, if you could please talk about what this means looking ahead.

Kate Thompson: Yeah, absolutely. So, looking ahead, the new bill, together with the earlier one, are really building blocks for a stronger legal foundation for workplace fairness in Singapore. As I mentioned throughout the podcast, by the end of 2027, we’ll see this take full effect, and this gives time for cultural change, for practices to evolve, and for stakeholders to adapt. It signals that inclusion, fairness, transparency, and respect are increasingly non-negotiables in employment relationships. Also, for other jurisdictions watching on, this is a really interesting model, structured, step dispute resolution, mediation first, simplified tribunal for smaller claims, and protections for both sides.

Goli Rahimi: We’re going to keep tracking how this legislation plays out, the journey towards implementation, and any key updates that arise between now and then. Thank you, Kate, for all of your insights today, and thank you to our audience for joining us for today’s Cross-Border Catch-Up. Please follow us to stay in the know about cutting-edge employment issues worldwide.

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