SHRI CEO says workplaces aren't ready for the upcoming Workplace Fairness laws
HR practitioners across Singapore have been told to have the "moral courage to step up" amid new findings that few people leaders are willing to speak up openly against discrimination.
Alvin Goh, chief executive officer of the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI), issued the call as he warned that workplaces aren't ready for the new workplace fairness laws.
"Are we ready? I don't think we are ready," Goh said during James Cook University in Singapore's The Boardroom Perspective, as quoted by the Business Times.
Goh, citing an SHRI survey, said only 20% of people leaders would speak up openly against discrimination at work, while the rest admitted they would keep quiet rather than go against their employer.
"We need to have the moral courage to step up and voice out our opinion," the SHRI CEO said as quoted by the news outlet. "We cannot be an administrative function anymore."
He meant that HR practitioners can no longer standby and wait for complaints, but instead proactively look for patterns of potential discrimination.
"If a particular line manager seems to only like a particular nationality, or gender, or type of employee, or candidate from a particular university, that is a pattern, isn't it?" he said as quoted by the Business Times.
"We have all the data on hand. Is there a pattern to all these possible discriminatory hiring practices, or promotion, or development? Look at all these. Don't wait for things to happen."
Singapore's Workplace Fairness Act
Goh is joined in the panel by Patrick Tay, National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general, and Joyce Bijl, ManpowerGroup's business development director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
One of the topics during the panel is the upcoming Workplace Fairness Act, which is aimed at protecting employees against discrimination based on 11 characteristics. It is expected to take effect by end of 2027.
According to Tay, employers and workers should have a working knowledge of the legislation before it takes effect.
"There's still time, but time is ticking," he said as quoted by the Business Times.
