This Labour Day, read about AWARE’s Recommendations to MOM for Safer and Fairer Workplaces 

This Labour Day, AWARE commends the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) ongoing efforts to improve workplaces and workplace conditions in Singapore. The introduction of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) in December 2024 was swiftly followed with the passing of the Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) in January 2025. The latter together with the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Act passed in November 2025, provide long-awaited anti-discrimination protection for employees. Whilst the WFA does not protect all employees (notably LGBTQ+ workers) or cover all situations of discrimination (focusing only on employment decisions and excluding salary decisions for example), and whilst the TG-FWAR does not impose any legal obligations on employers to address requests, these developments are nonetheless instrumental in advancing fairer and more inclusive workplaces in Singapore.

Continuing our work to advance safer and fairer workplaces, we are pleased to update that MOM invited AWARE to contribute to their efforts to improve workplace safety and workplace inclusiveness by sharing our recommendations to strengthen Tripartite instruments on managing workplace harassment and to improve inclusiveness in the workplace by providing reasonable accommodations to respond to employees’ needs. To this end, we made submissions to MOM on 18 December 2025 in three critical areas: (1) managing workplace harassment, (2) reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related needs, and (3) reasonable accommodations for menopause-related needs.

Managing Workplace Harassment 

Workplace harassment remains a persistent problem despite Singapore’s existing measures, like the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment (TAMWH) and the Workplace Harassment Resource and Recourse Centre (WHRRC), and related frameworks like the Tripartite Standard on Grievance Handling (TSGH), and the Workplace Fairness Act (WFA). 

The 2021 AWARE-Ipsos study found that two in five respondents had encountered sexual harassment at work within five years and the 2022 AWARE-Milieu survey on workplace discrimination found that 15% of respondents had experienced discrimination-related harassment. The Kantar Inclusion Index in 2019 highlighted that Singapore was the second-worst performing country with almost 1 in 4 workers having been “bullied, undermined or harassed” in the workplace in the past year. 

There is no explicit legal obligation on employers to provide a harassment-free workplace. Many workers still face inadequate support from management or HR when encountering harassment, and often fear retaliation, are unclear about reporting channels, and lack confidence in organisational processes. 

While AWARE welcomes MOM’s plans to introduce a Tripartite Standard on Managing Workplace Harassment (TSMWH) and update the TAMWH, we recognise that such frameworks must contain clear, measurable employer commitments. To this end, AWARE recommended various measures be incorporated within the TAMWH and TSMWH including the following:

1. A broad and inclusive definition of the “workplace” that reflects contemporary work arrangements, such as remote and hybrid work, digital interactions, and overseas assignments, to clarify that employers’ responsibilities extend to all work contexts. 
2. A clearer definition of “harassment” which focuses on both the impact on the individual and the impact on the work environment, while taking into account context, reasonableness of the behaviour, power dynamics and the impact on the affected person. 
3. Explicit definitions and examples of sexual harassment and discrimination-related harassment, including discrimination-related harassment related to gender, pregnancy, caregiving, and other protected characteristics.
4. Define control measures to mean reasonably practical measures to eliminate any foreseeable risk of workplace harassment.

AWARE also recommended five practices that employers should adopt under the updated TAMWH and TSMWH:

1. Conduct risk assessment and implement effective control measures
2. Develop an anti-harassment policy and grievance handling procedure
3. Communicate and raise awareness on anti-harassment policy and procedure
4. Educate employees on respectful and appropriate workplace behaviour
5. Train supervisors and appointed staff to conduct investigations and respond to harassment-related grievances in a trauma-informed manner

To achieve safer workplaces, we recommended the institution of levers to encourage employers to adopt measures to prevent workplace harassment, and consequences for failure to do so.

Looking forward, we urged regular reviews to assess the effectiveness of these measures and if progress is slow in addressing this serious harm, then legislation against workplace harassment is called for.

What are Reasonable Accommodations (RAs)

RAs are necessary workplace adjustments that ensure fairness for employees with demonstrated needs. RAs impose a duty on employers to justify any refusal and are grounded in principles of equality and anti-discrimination. Given that workers face different biological and health realities, RAs are a critical tool to prevent workers from being forced out of employment.

RAs for Pregnancy-Related Needs in the Workplace 

Pregnancy and the post-pregnancy period can create genuine health and safety challenges at work. Yet without a pregnancy-specific RAs framework, those with genuine pregnancy-related medical or safety needs must rely on flexible work arrangements, which are at the discretion of employers. As a result, pregnant employees may have no choice but to take early maternity leave, exhaust limited leave entitlements, or go on unpaid leave, often at financial and health costs.

Recognising pregnancy as a normal stage of working life rather than a barrier to it, AWARE proposed RAs across three broad areas:

1. Health, safety, and comfort: This may include exemptions from heavy lifting, relocation to safer workspaces, and access to supportive equipment. 
2. Maternity leave: Such as career protections, temporary reduced workloads, and appropriate extensions around leave. 
3. Breastfeeding support: The provision of dedicated, sanitary lactation spaces, flexible break times, and adjusted work schedules. 

A robust Tripartite Advisory on Reasonable Accommodations (TARA), paired with clear processes, confidentiality protections, and safeguards against retaliation, would complement the WFA and send a strong signal that equal treatment includes the duty to accommodate – not merely to avoid discrimination. Critically it will enable pregnant and post-pregnant workers to remain safely and productively employed.

RAs for Menopause-Related Needs in the Workplace 

Menopause is a predictable life stage affecting a growing share of Singapore’s workforce, particularly women aged 45–64 who are often at the peak of their skills and leadership contribution. Unmanaged menopausal symptoms such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes remain an overlooked factor that contributes to productivity loss, absenteeism, and early workforce exit. As Singapore seeks to extend careers and build an age-inclusive workforce, the failure to address menopause-related needs undermines these goals. 

To build an age-inclusive and gender-inclusive workforce, AWARE proposed a framework for integrating menopause-related RAs into workplace practices:

1. Flexible work arrangements such as staggered start and end times, remote work options, and symptom-triggered rest breaks to help manage fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and mood fluctuations. 
2. Workplace environment adjustments such as access to cooling aids, quiet or rest spaces, and ergonomic supports to alleviate physical discomfort. 
3. Recognising menopause-related symptoms within existing medical leave and insurance frameworks so that employees can seek medical care and manage their symptoms without penalty or stigma. 
4. Manager and peer support by way of training for managers to respond empathetically and establishment of peer support networks, to reduce stigma and feelings of isolation.
5. Confidentiality and Policy Integration to ensure privacy in health disclosures and consistent and non-discriminatory treatment by incorporating menopause accommodations in policies.

To ensure success, we recommended that organisations adopt the following strategies: 

1. visible endorsement from leadership
2. clear and accessible policies
3. awareness campaigns in the organisation 
4. training for managers and HR staff 
5. confidential and accessible support channels for employees seeking assistance 
6. clear, streamlined and confidential accommodation processes 
7. regular monitoring of impact and outcomes and refinement of measures.

This will help ensure that menopause accommodations remain effective, relevant, and responsive over time. Normalising menopause support strengthens not only gender and age inclusion, but also supports workforce sustainability and promotes equitable, responsive and competitive workplaces.

To read our full submissions to MOM, please go to:

• Submission on Managing Workplace Harassment
• Submission on Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnancy-Related Needs
• Submission on Reasonable Accommodations for Menopause-Related Needs