Making Singapore Workplaces Happier

Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Manpower in light of a finding in the recent Work Happiness Index that only 56% of Singaporean respondents are happy in the workplace, whether the Ministry is considering any steps to empower employers and upskill employees to make the Singaporean workplace a happier place.

Workplaces should be safe and fair working environments where employees are valued, motivated and supported, in order for employees to have the opportunity to realise their full potential for themselves and their organisations. The Work Happiness Index from Jobstreet by SEEK, for example, found that beyond salary, the key drivers of workplace satisfaction include having purpose at work, career progression opportunities and satisfaction with day-to-day roles.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) actively works with our Tripartite Partners to promulgate good practices that strengthen these aspects of the workplace environment. To support career progression and purpose, we launched Career Health SG to empower Singaporeans to take charge of their careers. With tools and services, such as Careers and Skills Passport, CareersFinders and career guidance programmes, individuals can better assess their skills and chart their career pathways.

Singaporeans who wish to upskill and reskill can also tap on a wide range of programmes from Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore to access job opportunities that are better aligned with their aspirations. These include, Career Conversion Programmes, SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme and the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme.

We recently introduced the Singapore Opportunity Index to encourage employers to help their employees grow and thrive at work. The Singapore Opportunity Index measures how well employers support meaningful career growth compared to their industry peers, and highlights how employers can improve their talent development strategies. This also allows workers to identify employers that offer opportunities that are aligned with their career goals.

We have increased the statutory retirement and re-employment ages to 63 and 68 respectively in 2022 and will further increase them to 64 and 69 respectively in 2026. This will enable seniors to work longer if they wish to and support their employability. We have also launched the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment, to empower our senior workers to be productive and employable and promote age-friendly jobs and multi-generational workplaces.

To promote good mental well-being, MOM has partnered the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council to develop and promote initiatives that build employers' competencies in supporting their employees' mental health and well-being. For example, iWorkHealth is a free psychosocial risk assessment tool that helps employers identify workplace stressors in their organisations. Resources, such as the Handbook on Supporting Employees' Mental Health, recommend practical measures which employers can adopt to foster a positive work culture and build strong support systems.

In 2025, Parliament had passed the Workplace Fairness Act, which will strengthen fair and merit-based workplace practices. The Act provides workers with greater assurance that they will be treated fairly at work based on the protected characteristics of age; nationality; sex; including marital status, pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities; race, religion and language ability; as well as disability and mental health conditions. This will allow workers to develop careers to their full potential. MOM is working closely with Tripartite Partners on training and advisory resources to prepare employers and workers for the implementation of the Act in end-2027.