Debated in Parliament on 22 Sep 2025.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) for each year from 2021 to date, how many cases of workplace harassment and bullying have been reported to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP); and (b) whether TAFEP negotiates interim safeguards such as no-contact orders, remote work options, or re-deployment for all cases of workplace harassment and bullying.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry tracks or takes action against employers with repeated reports of workplace harassment and bullying through (i) the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) (ii) the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Incident Reporting eService (iii) the State Courts and (iv) other reporting and whistleblowing channels.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), through its Workplace Harassment Resource and Recourse Centre, provides employers and employees with resources and assistance respectively on workplace harassment. For greater reach, TAFEP partners various stakeholders such as community organisations and women's groups to establish referral channels and share about TAFEP's role in providing employees with advice and assistance on such matters.
Between January 2021 and July 2025, TAFEP received an average of 57 workplace harassment complaints per year. In managing these complaints and assessing the appropriate follow-up actions and rectifications needed by employers, TAFEP takes into account past workplace harassment complaints that have been made against the company. TAFEP does not track cases handled via other channels.
When TAFEP receives a complaint that requires follow-up with the employer, TAFEP will ask the company to carry out an independent investigation into the incident, in line with the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment. During the investigation, if the affected party has concerns with well-being or safety, TAFEP will ask the company to consider appropriate interim safeguards. This could include no-contact orders, remote work options or re-deployment. TAFEP also requires the company to update on the outcome of the investigation, disciplinary actions taken against the harasser if the report was found to be true, and to address the concerns raised by the affected individual. TAFEP will also work with the employer to put in place proper harassment prevention policies aligned with the Tripartite Advisory.
TAFEP will report to the Ministry for Manpower egregious companies which fail to provide a safe environment or refuse to follow-up with corrective action.
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