The discrimination dilemma
Would discrimination under certain circumstances level the playing field for the disadvantaged? How would such affirmative action fit within meritocratic Singapore?
Add BT as a preferred source
WHEN Rachel applied for jobs as a fresh graduate, she was repeatedly asked if she had plans to get married and start a family. When an Upper Bukit Timah condominium issued a tender for security services, it required Chinese-speaking guards who were below the age of 60.
These are not unique examples, and the odds are people you know have had similar experiences. Last year, Aware-Milieu found that half of those surveyed in Singapore had experienced some form of discrimination at work, with ageism and sexism taking the second and third spots respectively. Discrimination on the grounds of race took top spot.
Singapore will be addressing this with robust anti-discrimination laws. In its February 2023 interim report, which set out recommendations for those laws, the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness proposed to prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of (i) age; (ii) nationality; (iii) sex, marital status, pregnancy status and caregiving responsibilities; (iv) race, religion, and language; and (v) disability and mental health conditions – the ‘protected characteristics’.
TRENDING NOW
On the board but frozen out: The Taib family feud tearing Sarawak construction giant apart
Thai and Vietnamese farmers may stop planting rice because of the Iran war. Here’s why
MAS convenes bank CEOs over AI cyberthreats; boards told to own risks, not leave to IT teams
Is it time to scrap COE categories for cars?
