Implementing Tripartite Standards on Managing Workplace Abuse and Harassment

Ms K Thanaletchimi asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will consider having tripartite standards on managing workplace abuse and harassment; and (b) if so, whether a review will be conducted to formulate the existing Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment as a set of guidelines.

We take a multi-pronged approach in protecting employees from workplace harassment. The Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) was introduced in 2014, followed by the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment in 2015.

In October last year, the Tripartite Standard on Grievance Handling was introduced. This Standard specifies a set of verifiable and actionable employment practices that companies can follow to manage workplace grievances more effectively. Employers adopting this Standard are committed to putting in place clear processes for handling their employees' grievances to ensure they are adequately dealt with. The same processes apply to grievances regarding workplace harassment. To date, more than 630 employers, which collectively employ about 380,000 employees, have pledged to uphold this Standard. We look forward to the strong support of our tripartite partners to promote adoption of the Standard to benefit more workers.

We urge all employees who experience any workplace harassment to promptly report such incidents to their employers, so that the management can conduct proper investigations. Affected employees can also report such incidents to the Ministry of Manpower or the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) or seek redress through the Courts or Police.