SINGAPORE – Workplace fairness will be strengthened with a new legislation set to be introduced in the second half of 2024.

The Workplace Fairness Legislation will cover better protection against discrimination based on sex and ensure jobseekers and employees have fair access to job opportunities, said Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo on March 3.

Speaking at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (SCCCI) International Women’s Day Conference and Dinner at the Shangri-La Singapore, she said a separate set of new guidelines will also set expectations on how flexible work arrangement requests should be properly considered by employers.

This move will better support women, who still tend to carry more of the caregiving load, she added.

An expansion of the Household Services Scheme to include basic child-minding and elder-minding services is also being piloted to provide more options for families to meet their household needs, she said.

The scheme currently allows companies to hire more migrant workers to provide part-time domestic services, such as home cleaning.

Mrs Teo noted that some of the Budget announcements made in 2024 were designed with women’s needs in mind.

Silver Support payouts will go up by 20 per cent and be provided to more people. About two-thirds of Silver Support recipients are women, she said.

She noted that the Retirement Savings Bonus announced will top up the Central Provident Fund accounts of those with less, the majority of whom are women.

Childcare fees will be further reduced and non-working mothers from lower-income households will get higher subsidies for their children in pre-schools, she added.

Women professionals who have had to leave work also find it tougher to rejoin the workforce because the skills demanded of them change quickly.

“Not only had they stagnated relative to their peers, they had to compete with younger workers with new skills.”

She noted that the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit top-up announced during the Budget is one initiative that women can take advantage of.

The employment rate for women in Singapore aged 25 to 64 has continued to rise, and is one of the highest in the world, at 77 per cent. The adjusted gender pay gap has also further narrowed, she added.

While the Government does its part to empower women, the business community is also essential to promote policies and practices that help women flourish in the workplace and eradicate unfair practices.

Over the last few decades, organisations such as the SCCCI’s Career Women’s Group (CWG) have amplified the voices of women in professional circles and advocated for systemic shifts towards equality, said Mrs Teo.

She added that groups like the CWG are better suited to mentor and coach women, and can create safe spaces for members to share experiences about achievements and setbacks.

She also made a call for the CWG to guide younger women who not only want to succeed in their careers, but also want to marry and have children.

Increasingly, more men are also stepping up to fulfil family commitments, which makes raising children more manageable in the modern context, she said.

“As a society, we should do everything we can to support those who choose marriage and parenthood.”

Correction note: This article has been edited for clarity.