The Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) introduced a set of workplace standards in July 2017, to promote better employment practices in Singapore.
Two years later, 2,600 companies have adopted at least one of the standards.
With the changes they implement, the firms are benefitting more than 660,000 employees, which makes up about one in every five workers in Singapore.
Although the Tripartite Standards serve as guidelines and companies are not legally required to adopt them, it has been highly encouraged.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said the standards will complement existing workplace regulations to improve our working conditions.
Addressing the topic while on a visit to ComfortDelGro Taxi’s CityCab Building, Teo calls it’s a “good start” to see Singapore firms taking up the practices.
“I think it provides a good foundation to draw more companies into the programme,” she said.
The Tripartite Standards comprise eight parts: age-friendly practices, contracting self-employed persons, employing of term-contract workers, flexible work arrangements, grievance handling, procuring services from media freelancers, fairer recruitment practices, and unpaid leave for unexpected care needs.
Among these, Teo said many companies have chosen to improve their work flexibility, recruitment practices, and employment of term-contract workers.
Flexible work arrangements, for example, include alternative arrangements like a compressed work week, staggered work hours, or letting employees work from home.
IT and media, professional services, and wholesale trade came up as the top three sectors implementing new standards in the workplace.
Tafep has a list of adopters on their site, where you can also find out more about how to implement the standards.
When companies decide to adopt the standards, Tafep keeps track of it through feedback channels like their employees, and will step in to provide support if the firms face any problems meeting the standards.
There are no penalties for firms that subscribe to the standards but subsequently fail to meet them.
On the other hand, companies that successfully implement the standards will be allowed to use the Tripartite Standards logo, which is an indication that highlights them as a more progressive employer.
Singapore’s work culture is often known to be in overdrive, so it’s a positive change to see that more companies are recognising a wider range of employees’ needs, and helping the workplace evolve to suit them better.
Find out more about the Tripartite Standards here.
Featured Image Credit: Dot Property