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9 December 2020: Saga podcast premiere and virtual listening party

March 2009: When 100 strangers arrive at a run-of-the-mill meeting for Singapore gender-equality group AWARE, long-time members sense that something is wrong. Who are the mysterious women wresting control of this respected volunteer organisation? And what disturbing secret unites them? What happens next becomes the stuff of national legend: starting with an astonishing coup and culminating in an extraordinary declaration of equality and justice. Welcome to the AWARE Saga.

Saga is a limited-series podcast hosted by acclaimed former journalist Bharati Jagdish. With this podcast, we:

• Tell the never-before-heard stories of key players in this gripping national event
• Examine impacts of the AWARE Saga, which have rippled outwards for the past decade
• Ask all-important questions about democracy, fairness and bridging societal divides

At 7-9pm on 9 December, join us as we kick off the Saga podcast with a virtual listen-along session to the first two episodes of the series, followed by a conversation with the creators! This premiere will take place over Zoom.

Register here!

Position Filled: (Senior) Volunteer Manager

We are no longer accepting applicants for this role.

AWARE’s Secretariat department is looking for a Volunteer Manager to oversee the recruitment, management, engagement, training, evaluation and coordination of all types and levels of volunteers across AWARE. This includes, but is not limited to, board members, event staff, ad-hoc/special projects volunteers, skilled/pro-bono and Helpliners.

The Volunteer Manager ensures that volunteer skills and interests are best matched with the needs of AWARE to most effectively supplement staff resources and engage the community. The Volunteer Manager will also develop new programmes to recruit, train and engage volunteers to extend AWARE’s work and fundraising. In addition, the Volunteer Manager will be responsible for reviewing and enhancing AWARE’s volunteer management polices and programme.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone new to the social sector who is committed to social justice and looking for a concrete way to contribute to society in Singapore. The ideal candidate will be a great executor, extremely well-organised, able to work independently, and passionate about working with people in a collaborative manner.

Position: (Senior) Volunteer Manager
Department: Secretariat
Salary range: $4,800 – 5,800
Starting date: Immediate
Term: Two-year contract
Eligibility: This role is a two-year commitment in partnership with NCSS and is only open to Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents who are currently outside the social sector.

Job Description

  • Develop AWARE’s volunteer strategy in collaboration with the various departments
  • Manage ongoing recruitment, training, utilisation, and engagement of volunteer pool
  • Evaluate, enhance and implement volunteer management policies and processes (e.g. volunteer training, development, recognition, engagement)
  • Optimise the utilisation of existing volunteer management system to track and utilise relevant volunteer data
  • Creatively and optimally deploy interested volunteer talent to best utilise their skills and cover necessary work within AWARE
  • Assist in development and launch of a corporate volunteer ambassadors programme
  • Source, develop and sustain collaborations with other community stakeholders, corporate partners and government agencies
  • Develop and deploy staff training on volunteer management best practices
  • Use data to show meaningful YOY insights about the volunteer management programme
  • Deliver effective on-boarding and training to new volunteers entering the organisation

Requirements

This role is a two-year commitment in partnership with NCSS and is only open to Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents who are outside the social sector.

  • 5-8 years of professional experience in people management, stakeholder management, strategic work, resource management and/or project management
  • Must have substantial volunteer experience, been involved in Corporate CSR programmes or in managing volunteers
  • Individual looking for career switch (encouraged)
  • Collaborative, energetic, self-motivated, and engaging, with strong multi-tasking skills and sound judgment. Able to effectively and diplomatically work with diverse groups of colleagues, volunteers, members and other constituents
  • Demonstrated commitment to measuring outcomes and thriving within a results-oriented culture. Effective organisational skills and good orientation to information systems, data management and procedures
  • A high degree of customer service orientation, personal motivation and commitment to values that support AWARE’s mission and vision
  • Able to work both independently and collaboratively in cross-functional teams and solve problems creatively
  • Outstanding organisational and time management skills
  • University degree/diploma, or equivalent combination of education and experience

Read our privacy policy here.

Please note that due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview. If you have any questions about this position, please email careers@aware.org.sg.

Legislate six days of paid eldercare leave

This letter was originally published in The Straits Times on 20 November 2020. 

Family caregivers face difficulty juggling caregiving responsibilities with paid work, due to the high demands of both (Good time to look at legislating parent-care leave, Nov 18). Unsurprisingly, many are forced to quit their jobs or reduce their working hours to cope with caregiving duties.

This was the case for about 67 per cent of the respondents in the Association of Women for Action and Research’s (Aware) 2019 research on the conflict between caregiving and work for female caregivers to the elderly.

Even for those who employ migrant domestic workers to help, Aware’s research shows that family caregivers are still primarily responsible for caregiving tasks. These include care navigation, arranging for medical appointments, speaking to care professionals and managing care costs.

While family caregivers who are working can take time off for caregiving, such leave tends to be unpaid, and is an insufficient solution. Last year, only one in five employers offered paid family care leave.

In Aware’s research, caregivers expressed a fear of being penalised or dismissed from their jobs because too much time off may make them seem less committed to work. Since caregiving leave is mostly unpaid, those who do take it experience a significant loss in income.

Additionally, eligibility for caregiving leave – at least for those in companies that follow the Tripartite Standard on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs – is limited to cases where caregiving recipients are hospitalised. But many caregivers tend to those who suffer from chronic illnesses (which can suddenly flare up), and those unable to perform activities of daily living. Caregivers are, thus, often forced to use their annual leave and forgo time off for themselves.

The call to review and potentially legislate parent-care leave for all is the right step forward, especially in view of Singapore’s ageing population and growing workforce. We should legislate six days of paid eldercare leave, like the six days of childcare leave currently available. (Workers caring for both children and the elderly would therefore receive 12 days of paid leave.)

Paid care leave should be available to all workers and should be extended to all primary family caregivers regardless of their relationship to the care recipient. However, to keep business costs low for employers, the leave could be restricted to those living with their care recipients.

Family caregivers should be given the right amount of support in thanks for their dedication to their family and the labour force.

Jasmine Gomez, Project Consultant, Association of Women for Action and Research

Becoming AWARE: 35 years of women’s activism – by Kontinentalist

To commemorate our 35th birthday on 25 November 2020, Singaporean editorial studio Kontinentalist put together a beautiful, comprehensive overview of AWARE’s work to date. Titled Becoming AWARE: 35 years of women’s activism, the article charts AWARE’s advocacy efforts, public campaigns, community training, support services and much more.

A big thank you to the team at Kontinentalist for their dedicated research and brilliant conceptualisation!

Explore the full article here.

Story by Loh Pei Ying, Isabella Chua, Kenneth Wee and Mick Yang
Design by Amanda Teo
Code by Siti Aishah

Going through divorce? Join our support group

Important: Due to limited resources and overwhelming demand for counselling services during this period, AWARE’s support groups have been cancelled until further notice. Clients seeking support for divorce-related issues can reach out to our Women’s Helpline at 1800 777 5555 to speak with a trained Helpliner, and explore other options, such as seeking legal advice and counselling services.

 

Divorce can be difficult. If you are recently divorced, or are going through divorce proceedings now, AWARE’s support group might be able to help. Come meet and learn from other women facing similar struggles.

Together, we will learn ways to cope with emotional upheavals, adapt to changes, restructure our lives meaningfully and embrace this new stage of life with hope and positivity.

“The support group (is) a meeting place for the divorcees to come together to encourage, comfort and be a sounding board for one another, and not feel alone with our challenges. I feel that I went through a well thought-through, well-structured and well-organised programme, and not just a social gathering.”

– Former participant

 

Eligibility: Women who have been divorced for less than two years and women who are in the midst of divorce proceedings.

Registration fee: $100

 

Selection of group members is based on different variables since our focus is to embrace compatibility and cohesiveness of the group composition. Applicants will be contacted in a timely manner before the start date.

Migrant domestic workers caring for the elderly afflicted by overwork, inaccurate job matching and inadequate support: AWARE-HOME study

This post was originally published as a press release on 11 November 2020.

The struggles faced by both migrant domestic workers (MDWs) and caregivers for the elderly in Singapore have, separately, been mainstays in recent national conversation. Yet the stress faced by individuals for whom these identities are compounded—that is, MDWs who perform eldercare—has been given little consideration.

A new report, entitled Neither Family Nor Employee: the Caregiver Burden of Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore, finds that this stress (known as “caregiver burden”) results from poor job matching, overwork and a lack of caregiving-specific support for MDWs.

The report is the first research collaboration between gender equality organisation AWARE and the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), who conducted interviews with 25 MDWs providing eldercare, four MDW employment agencies (EAs), seven employers of domestic workers for eldercare, and five providers of formal eldercare training. These interviews took place between December 2019 and September 2020.

“This is the first local study bringing together the perspectives of MDWs, their employers, employment agencies and private eldercare training providers,” said Ms Shailey Hingorani, Head of Research and Advocacy at AWARE. “As we rapidly age as a society, our reliance on MDWs is likely to increase. Unless we pay specific attention to the consequences of caregiving to the mental and physical health of MDWs, we run the risk of compromising the quality of care given to our elders—a lose-lose scenario.”

For Singaporean families, employing MDWs is seen as a relatively affordable way for individuals to age in place with round-the-clock, live-in care service. Of all households in Singapore who employed MDWs in 2018, one in five had employed them for help with eldercare. Yet researchers discovered that inconsistencies in the critical initial process of matching MDWs to employers ultimately penalised domestic workers and care recipients alike. There is currently no standard practice for assessing either the caregiving needs of elderly persons or the caregiving abilities of MDWs. As a result, 20% of the MDWs interviewed were providing a higher level of care than they had been prepared for before they were hired.

On top of this, the MDWs lacked sufficient emotional and informational support to deal with their wards’ evolving care needs—for example, when caring for a person with dementia. Fifty-five per cent of MDW respondents looking after persons with dementia faced verbal abuse, and 36% faced physical abuse. Yet neither employers nor most employment agencies are equipped or incentivised to provide support when those situations arise.

Another factor that worsens MDWs’ caregiver burden is the lack of specific legislation prescribing the maximum number of hours that MDWs should work. Many of the MDWs interviewed work for an average of 14.5 hours a day. Often forced to juggle both caregiving and housework responsibilities, MDWs suffered from headaches, body pains and interrupted sleep. Eighty-four per cent of MDW respondents did not have a weekly rest day, and when they were granted time off from work, it never spanned a full 24 hours.

“Domestic workers are workers like anyone else in Singapore, and it does not make any sense to treat them differently,” said Ms Jaya Anil Kumar, a case manager at HOME. “The lack of regulation of domestic workers’ working hours leads to complaints of overwork from many domestic workers, and adversely affects their well-being.”

AWARE and HOME presented a list of recommendations in the light of these findings. The organisations suggested that policymakers strengthen legislative protection of MDWs and guarantee access to respite services. They also proposed generating a standard care needs matrix (which would enable the professional categorisation of care needs and MDW skill levels) to prevent poor job matching, as well as expanding the scope of basic eldercare training, and better incentivising employers to hire trained MDWs. Lastly, the groups called for the creation of MDW-specific caregiver support resources, to help workers cope with a range of challenging caregiving situations.

In the long-term, the report concluded, the government should work towards professionalising live-in caregivers and home-care workers through a scheme akin to SkillsFuture. For example, salary guidelines might be pegged to the existing Skills Framework.

“Let’s chart a viable future in which domestic workers are valued for what they are: essential parts of so many Singaporeans’ lives,” said Ms Hingorani. “These actions could shift prevailing mindsets about care work—which is largely under-appreciated—and thereby improve the lot of women all over Singapore.”

Read the full Neither Family Nor Employee report here.

Annex – Selected respondent profiles (not their real names)

  • Nalin* is a domestic worker who has for two years been caring for a 92-year-old with dementia. Though she is exhausted from providing care throughout the night, Nalin finds it difficult to sleep during the day because she fears leaving her care recipient unsupervised. This lack of sleep creates a precarious situation for both caregiver and care recipient. “Because the whole day you are awake and you also have to wake up the whole night. It is hard… In the morning I have time to rest, but I cannot sleep. I really cannot.”
  • Kevaly* is a domestic worker who has for four months been caring for a wheelchair-bound 89-year old stroke patient, who also has early-stage dementia. When Kevaly fell ill, her employer prevented her from getting the rest that her doctor prescribed, and pressured her to accompany the elderly person to senior day care. “I showed him my MC. ‘But if you take leave now and Ah Gong is going to daycare, then how?’ he said. So I said, ‘It’s OK, I will go.’ I just said that, because ‘No, cannot, they gave me MC I’m going to rest’—I can’t say that, I won’t be able to suggest that.”
  • Diana* is a domestic worker who has for 10 years been caring for a 91-year-old bedridden care recipient with dementia. Before she was hired, she had not been informed that the care recipient was bedridden and would require help with all six Activities of Daily Living. “I just found out when I started working. Because back home in the Philippines, what was written about the job was an elderly alone at home, then you have to clean the car, to cook, and I accepted that. But when I got here, I found out they were actually in Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Bedridden—I mean, oh my God, the disparity was a lot.”
  • Athena* is a domestic worker who has for seven years been caring for an 85-year-old stroke patient with dementia. Several times during her caregiving journey, Athena has felt burnt out and reached out to her employer for support. He did not provide her with any caregiving-specific support, however, and instead implored her to persevere. “Sometimes I really tell the son, ‘I really cannot tahan [handle], I want to go home.’ Then the son answer, ‘You survived the previous year. Now we see Ah Ma is very weak… why you want to back out?’ Like that. So I keep praying only.”

Read the full narrative summaries from the report here.

Civil society groups submit Universal Periodic Review joint report ahead of 2021 session, urging the strengthening of civil, social, cultural and economic rights

This post was originally published as a press release on 15 October 2020.

15 October 2020 – A coalition of 11 civil society organisations have come together to submit a joint report to the United Nations, as Singapore prepares for its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) scheduled for 2021.

The submission’s contributing members are AWARE, Freedom of Information Singapore, Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, Sayoni, SG Climate Rally, We Believe in Second Chances, We Who Witness and Women and Law in Islam. Each of these members contributed insights and recommendations based on their areas of expertise.

The UPR consists of an interactive dialogue between the Human Rights Council and member states about steps taken to advance human rights in their respective societies. Civil society organisations are welcome to submit their own information on relevant human rights issues; this information can be referenced by any of the states taking part in the review.

Since the last UPR in 2016, Singapore’s government has enacted a number of previous recommendations. These include: the repeal of marital immunity for rape, the introduction of the Vulnerable Adults Act, the enhancement of protection for 16-18-year-olds under the Children and Young Persons Act, and the expansion of healthcare subsidies to more segments of the population, e.g. under the Community Health Assist Scheme.

However, the coalition is concerned that there has been little to no movement in other areas, especially pertaining to civil and political rights. In some areas, the groups observe that the situation has, instead, worsened. These key areas of concern are:

  1. The suppression of civil and political rights through legislation with chilling effects on free speech (the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulations Act); unnecessary restrictions to public data; and the continued retention of the mandatory death penalty. The coalition recommends the review or review or repeal of POFMA, the introduction of a Freedom of Information Act, and the abolition of the death penalty.
  2. The persistence of discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc. This discrimination manifests in, among other things, (i) the stability of the unadjusted gender wage gap over the last decade, (ii) the prevalence of violence against women and LGBTQ persons, (iii) the retention of provisions criminalising sex between men, and (iv) the exclusion of persons with psycho-social disabilities from national disability frameworks. The coalition recommends a comprehensive national anti-discrimination legislation, the inclusion of gender-based violence and consent topics in sexuality education programmes, the repeal of Section 377A, and an updated definition of disability in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
  3. An inadequate response to climate change, in the form of insubstantial climate pledges, a lack of comprehensive environmental and climate legislation, and a lack of community representation in policy-making. The coalition proposes setting absolute emissions targets in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommendations, and giving members of the public and vulnerable communities appropriate representation within decision-making bodies.
  4. The violation of economic rights, particularly those of migrant workers, through wage discrimination, exorbitant recruitment fees and the exclusion of migrant domestic workers from the Employment Act. The coalition recommends a review of the practice of wage discrimination by nationality, the ratification of the International Labour Organization’s Convention on Domestic Workers, and the protection of domestic workers by the Employment Act.

“While Singapore has certainly made some encouraging progress since 2016, we cannot remain stagnant or, worse, take steps backwards when it comes to fundamental human rights,” said Corinna Lim, AWARE’s executive director. “This is a society that values justice, compassion and the safety of all individuals; we must design policy to reflect these ideals.”

“The ongoing pandemic has made clear the need for government transparency, accountability and strong social and human rights protections,” said Ariffin Sha, co-founder of Freedom of Information Singapore. “We hope that civil society can continue to work together with a shared vision for a fairer and more just society.”

“Civil and political rights are necessary if we are to effectively address the issues confronting marginalised groups and the problem of climate change,” said Emmy Charissa, a representative of We Who Witness. “Solidarity across movements also strengthens the causes of all marginalised people. In contributing to and signing on to this joint report, we are showing our recognition of these ideas, and demonstrating that we won’t allow ourselves to be divided.”

Read the coalition’s joint report here.

Annex: About the coalition members

Contributing signatories

Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)

AWARE is Singapore’s leading women’s rights and gender-equality advocacy group. It works to identify and eliminate gender-based barriers through research, advocacy, education, training and support services. AWARE embraces diversity, respects the individual and the choices she makes in life, and supports her when needed.

Freedom of Information Singapore (FOISG)

FOISG is a non-partisan, student-led movement dedicated to promoting transparency and the right of access to information.

Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME)

HOME is a Singapore-based charity founded in 2004. HOME is dedicated to empowering and supporting migrant workers who find themselves victims of human rights violations, and suffer abuse and exploitation. HOME also seeks to promote the diverse voices of migrant workers in Singapore through outreach projects, and public education on issues affecting them.

Sayoni

Sayoni is a Singapore-based, feminist, volunteer-run organisation that works to uphold human rights protections for queer women, including lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. Sayoni organises and advocates for equality in well-being and dignity regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics.

SG Climate Rally

SG Climate Rally is a movement to stop climate change and achieve ambitious climate policy. SG Climate Rally aims to bring about a bold, just and necessary transition to net zero emissions in Singapore by 2050 by mobilising broad support from the public, policymakers and businesses.

We Believe in Second Chances

We Believe in Second Chances is a group committed to raising awareness on issues surrounding the death penalty in Singapore, as well as building a community of support around families of death row inmates. It advocates for the abolition of the mandatory death penalty, and a moratorium on the death penalty in Singapore.

We Who Witness

We Who Witness is a group of people in Singapore who experience or have experienced distress, fears or extreme/altered states of mind, or who have been psychiatrically labelled. We advocate for the full realisation of our rights.

Women and Law in Islam (WALI)

WALI is a group that promotes gender equality in Islam through conversation, public awareness and debate.

Signatories

Function 8

Function 8 is an initiative by a group of Singaporeans who believe there is a need to facilitate the sharing of social, political and economic experiences of those who had, or are eager to contribute to society through reflection and civic discussion.

New Naratif

New Naratif is a member-funded multimedia website for Southeast Asian journalism, art and research. New Naratif wants to build a community of curious and engaged individuals who believe that the media has a role in fighting for democracy, for freedom of thought and speech, and for speaking truth to power at a time when it is most imperilled.

350 Singapore

350 Singapore is a ground-up volunteer group that aims to inspire the public, policymakers and industry to get Singapore on track to a world within 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, through a just transition to a net-zero carbon future by 2050.

Positions Filled: AWARE Traineeship Programme (multiple positions)

We are no longer accepting applicants for these roles.

AWARE is offering multiple nine-month traineeships to recent university or polytechnics graduates. The trainee positions range from Advocacy and Research to Marketing and Communications, Accounts Administration and Learning and Development.

Throughout the traineeship, there will be ample learning avenues for Trainees to gain specialised experience and to learn more about AWARE’s work and programmes for gender equality. This is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in a leading NGO at the centre of Singapore’s feminist community.

These traineeships are part of the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, which enables young graduates to develop their professional skills across various sectors.

Engagement Fee: $1,800 – $2,500 per month
Term: 9 months
Starting date: Immediately
Eligibility: Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident; and

a. Graduated or graduating in calendar year 2019 or 2020 from ITEs, polytechnics, universities or other educational institutions (e.g. private universities and overseas institutions); or

b. Graduated earlier from above institutions and completed National Service in 2019 or 2020.

A Recap: Bad Company – understanding Singapore’s workplace bullying problem

written by Maia Harrison

The online event Bad Company, which took place last Thursday, 27 August 2020, was a discussion on the pervasive and often ambiguous issue of workplace bullying. Moderated by AWARE’s Head of Research and Advocacy, Shailey Hingorani, it featured an in-depth presentation of the behaviors and impacts of workplace bullying, as well as recourse options for victims.

The event opened with some informal audience poll questions over Zoom. The audience was asked if they had ever been bullied in the workplace, and a surprising majority of respondents—61%—confirmed that they had been bullied. This statistic alone demonstrated the necessity of such an event: Workplace bullying was a tangible issue for many in attendance, not an abstract one.

Caroline Callow, Senior Organisational Development Facilitator and Trainer for Catalyse (AWARE’s corporate consulting and training arm), spoke first. In her presentation, Caroline described the behaviors that constitute workplace bullying, noting that most instances of bullying occur in an ambiguous “grey area” that makes it difficult for victims to gauge the severity of their situation. She also launched a further series of polls, asking audience members to differentiate between rudeness, banter or bullying; chasing for information or intimidation; oversight or exclusion. Audience responses to polls were mixed, confirming that workplace bullying is situational, influenced by social and cultural differences and highly dependent on contextual clues.

The team of panellists and organisers at AWARE and Catalyse’s Bad Company event

The second speaker was Mamta Melwani, Senior Executive for AWARE’s Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Advisory (WHDA). Mamta observed that workplace bullying nearly always reveals itself in a pattern of behaviours, though it can sometimes consist of one single incident. It also occurs within many different relationships—from employee to employee, manager to employee, and employee to manager.

Mamta explained that workplace bullying often overlaps with other discriminatory forms of behavior such as sexual harassment: 55% of discrimination cases seen by WHDA overlapped with workplace bullying. Finally, she gave more information about the services provided by WHDA, as well as the steps individuals can take to build up a strong case against bullying—such as noting down incidents of bullying in a timeline, speaking to advisors for professional and emotional support, and creating paper trails as evidence of bullying behaviours.

Godelieve Van Dooren, a partner at the human resources consulting firm Mercer, spoke next. Her presentation focused on the tangible benefits of diverse and tolerant workplaces. She emphasised that inclusive environments are crucial for business success, because “people want their organisations to do the right thing”: i.e., affinity, pride and emotional purpose are the most important factors for productive employees. The second part of her presentation described best practices for HR, including a culture of zero tolerance of bullying, continuous employee education and thorough investigation of every allegation.  

Our final speaker at the event was Asiyah Arif, counsel at Providence Law Asia, who spoke about legal options available to victims reporting workplace bullying. The first, and arguably most important, step is preparation: creating a credible case against an employer. This might involve review of a contract and grievance policy, as well as the compilation of evidence and a preliminary lawyer consultation. Asiyah explained that options for recourse fall under three categories: criminal prosecution, civil remedies or action under the Protection from Harassment Act (as workplace bullying often constitutes harassing behaviour). However, she stressed that no matter what victims choose to pursue, their own personal well-being should be prioritised at every step of the process.

Throughout the event, audience members submitted dozens of questions to the panellists: Did certain environments facilitate workplace bullying? Was there a distinction between gaslighting and workplace bullying? Could workplace cultures in Singapore ever change? Panellists addressed as many of these enquiries as they could. These thought-provoking questions revealed an audience actively engaging with the issues and added nuance and clarity to the discussion.

They also signaled that although workplace bullying is being taken increasingly seriously in Singapore (partially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic placing a spotlight on the intersection of mental health and work), there is “so much more to do”, as Mamta put it. It’s important that employees and employers alike actively facilitate inclusive workplaces in Singapore, not only to increase productivity, but also to safeguard the wellbeing of all workers.