Navigating the Workplace Fairness Act: Mental Health Implications for Singapore Employers

Key Takeaways

The Workplace Fairness Act (WFA), slated to take effect at the end of 2027, will protect employees from discrimination on grounds that include mental health conditions, so Singapore employers can use the time before then to review policies, train managers and set up a grievance process.

• TAFEP describes the WFA as slated to take effect in end-2027. MOM says it targets end-2027, will keep monitoring readiness and may adjust the timeline.
• Mental health conditions are a protected characteristic, listed with disability, age, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy, caregiving responsibilities, race, religion and language ability.
• The WFA covers hiring, in-employment decisions such as appraisals, promotions and training, and dismissal, and requires a documented grievance handling process.
• MOM’s Tripartite Advisory already asks employers not to ask job applicants to declare mental health conditions unless this is a job-related requirement.

In Detail

Singapore’s Workplace Fairness Act is no longer a distant proposal. Parliament passed the Workplace Fairness Bill on 8 January 2025 and the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill on 4 November 2025, and TAFEP describes the Act as slated to take effect in end-2027 (TAFEP, Workplace Fairness). In the second reading of the dispute resolution bill, MOM said it currently targets end-2027 and will continue to monitor the readiness of all parties and adjust the timeline as necessary (MOM, 4 November 2025). Treat end-2027 as the planning date, and check MOM and TAFEP for updates.

Mental health conditions as a protected characteristic

TAFEP lists the protected characteristics as age; nationality; sex, marital status, pregnancy status and caregiving responsibilities; race, religion and language ability; and disability and mental health conditions (TAFEP, Workplace Fairness). For employers, the practical point is that an employment decision which results in an adverse outcome for an employee cannot be based on a protected characteristic. That includes a mental health condition. The Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices will continue to address discrimination based on other characteristics.

What the Act covers

TAFEP explains that the WFA covers three stages of the employment cycle: pre-employment decisions such as screening applicants and making offers, in-employment decisions such as performance appraisals, promotions, demotions and training, and end-employment decisions such as termination (TAFEP, Are you ready for the Workplace Fairness Act). It also requires a documented grievance handling process that commits the organisation to review each grievance, communicate the outcome, keep records and protect confidentiality, and employees must be informed of it in writing. TAFEP notes that employers who make adverse decisions based on protected characteristics will face administrative financial penalties and, in serious cases, heavier civil penalties.

What employers can do before the Act starts

The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Well-being at Workplaces already points in the same direction. It asks employers to make sure workplace practices and performance management systems are non-discriminatory and merit-based, not to ask job applicants to declare mental health conditions unless this is a job-related requirement, and to set up an internal channel for feedback and dispute resolution, with clear confidentiality policies (MOM, Tripartite Advisory). TAFEP also offers a free Workplace Fairness module in the Fair and Progressive Employment Index, a self-assessment that takes about 20 minutes (TAFEP, Are you ready for the Workplace Fairness Act).

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the Act itself, and take advice where a specific case is involved.

Putting This Into Practice

Here is a practical way to turn this into action.

Key Questions Answered

When will the Workplace Fairness Act take effect?

TAFEP describes the Act as slated to take effect in end-2027. MOM said in November 2025 that it currently targets end-2027 and will adjust the timeline if readiness requires it.

Is a mental health condition a protected characteristic under the Act?

Yes. TAFEP lists disability and mental health conditions among the protected characteristics, together with age, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy, caregiving responsibilities, race, religion and language ability.

Which employment decisions does the Act cover?

It covers pre-employment decisions such as hiring, in-employment decisions such as appraisals, promotions and training, and end-employment decisions such as dismissal.

What does the Act require employers to put in place?

TAFEP says employers need a documented grievance handling process that is communicated to employees in writing, with grievances reviewed, outcomes communicated, records kept and confidentiality protected.

Should employers ask job applicants about mental health conditions?

The Tripartite Advisory says employers should not ask applicants to declare personal information, including mental health conditions, unless it is a job-related requirement.

How can an employer check its readiness?

TAFEP offers a free Workplace Fairness module in the Fair and Progressive Employment Index, which maps to the Act’s requirements and takes about 20 minutes.

Sources

1. Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), Workplace Fairness
2. Ministry of Manpower, Second reading of the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill, 4 November 2025
3. Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), Are you ready for the Workplace Fairness Act
4. Ministry of Manpower, Tripartite advisory on mental health and well-being at workplaces