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Retrenchment Notification

New Regulation or Official Guidance

Authors: Trent Sutton, Shareholder, and Isha Malhotra, Of Counsel – Littler

Effective November 1, 2021, an employer is required to notify the Ministry of Manpower if it retrenches even a single employee. Prior to November 1, the notification requirement was triggered only if five or more employees were retrenched. The reason for the notification is so that the tripartite partners and relevant agencies are able to support retrenched employees.

New Workplace Anti-Discrimination Law in Singapore

Proposed Bill or Initiative

Authors: Trent Sutton, Shareholder, and Isha Malhotra, Of Counsel – Littler

Singapore currently does not have specific legislation governing employment discrimination and equal opportunity. While there are some limited protections (such as protection against wrongful dismissal or pregnancy dismissal, entitlement to retirement and re-employment, etc.), other workplace-related discrimination issues are dealt through nonbinding guidelines issued by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF). It is expected that Singapore will enact new workplace anti-discrimination law that will impose stricter enforcements on anti-discrimination issues.