Inaugural Conference on Fair Employment Practices Celebrates Milestone in Singapore’s Journey Towards Fair and Inclusive Workplaces
1,000 employers have pledged to be fair employers
The Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment announced at the inaugural Conference on Fair Employment Practices that 1,000 organisations have signed the Employers' Pledge of Fair Employment Practices, with FedEx becoming the 1,000th pledge signer.
2. Underscoring the importance of fair employment practices as a business imperative, Ramesh Kumar Singam, Managing Director of FedEx Express Singapore said, “At FedEx, we believe our people are the driving force of the company and that is why our culture is one that puts people first and promotes equal opportunities. Signing the pledge was a natural step for us to reinforce our commitment to the principles of hiring the right person for the job and creating an environment that cares for them.”
3. The one-day conference, themed, “Managing Employment Issues in Challenging Times”, brought together over 500 participants, comprising business leaders and HR practitioners, with the goal of sharing practical and sustainable strategies that will enable organisations to create fair and inclusive workplaces. An international panel of speakers and experts addressed topics such as the business case for fair employment practices, mining the mature workforce, managing discrimination, and welcoming women back to the workplace.
4. The Conference also saw the official launch of the
Leading Fair Employment Practices handbook, which contains case studies of 25 leading organisations in Singapore detailing their fair employment initiatives and best practices. The handbook showcases how these organisations have implemented fair employment practices in their workplace that not only caters to their employees of diverse background and experiences but also resulted in benefits for their businesses.
5. Co-Chairperson for the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) and Deputy Secretary General of NTUC, Madam Halimah Yacob said, “The government has made available many schemes to help companies to employ as well as retain Singaporean workers. Employers should now do their part in saving jobs. But in the face of cost and other pressures from this downturn, they should also ensure their employment practices are fair. In particular they should make sure that the more vulnerable workers such as the older ones are treated fairly and responsibly”.
6. “Particularly during an economic downturn, a company needs all the support and goodwill it can get from all its employees, to ride the storm and emerge even stronger on the upturn. 1,000 companies have signed the pledge to be a fair employer. I urge other employers to do the same and adopt the tripartite guidelines on fair employment practices,” said Mr. Bob Tan, Co-Chairperson for Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices and Vice-President, Singapore National Employers Federation.
Singapore Tripartism Forum
The Singapore Tripartism Forum is jointly set up by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to broaden, deepen and strengthen the spirit of tripartism through a more structured framework. The forum provides a platform for the tripartite partners – the government, union and employers – to table concerns and work together more effectively to overcome the more complex challenges faced by all today.
Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP)
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices or TAFEP was formed in May 2006 to promote non-discriminatory employment practices and to shift mindsets among employers, employees and the general public towards fair employment practices for all workers. The Alliance is co-chaired by Mr Bob Tan, Vice President, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and Council Member, Singapore Business Federation (SBF), and Madam Halimah Yacob, Deputy Secretary-General, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). Members include employer representatives, union leaders and government officials.
The Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment
The Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment promotes fair and merit-based employment practices so that employees can realise their full potential and employers can achieve organisational excellence. Leveraging its unique tripartite identity, the Centre works in partnership with employer organisations, unions and the government to create awareness and facilitate the adoption of fair employment practices. The Centre provides a range of services, tools and resources to help organisations implement fair employment practices, including training workshops, advisory services, and educational materials. The Centre also welcomes feedback on advancing fair employment in Singapore.
For more information, please
visit the Centre's website.