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Part – Newstatenabenn

The gist: New government unit to tackle serious cases of hoarding and noise
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The gist: New government unit to tackle serious cases of hoarding and noise

Workers here will get greater protections against discriminatory practices under a proposed workplace fairness law.

It makes clear that hiring, firing and evaluations based on characteristics such as age, nationality, sex or marital status are illegal. It will also prohibit retaliation, such as firing, pay deductions or harassment, against staff who report discrimination in the workplace.

In addition to establishing principles to protect workers, the proposed law also outlines dispute resolution processes and actions that can be taken against offending employers.

On the other hand, workers who frivolously take their employers to court may have their case dismissed, or be ordered to pay legal costs and be subject to disciplinary action from employers.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the law aims to reinforce fair and merit-based practices as workplace standards; strengthen protections for employees and create a safer environment for employees to raise bias complaints.

If passed, the legislation would likely go into effect in 2026 or 2027.

Why it is important:

For the first time, here there will be sanctions for serious discriminatory practices by errant employers in the form of fines and civil lawsuits filed by MOM.

The legislation also requires employers to implement complaints handling processes to facilitate the resolution of disputes within the company.

If approved, Singapore will join countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union that have laws against discriminatory conduct in the workplace.

READ MORE HERE: New Workplace Fairness Bill Proposed to Protect S’pore Workers Against Discrimination


If you have a few more minutes:

New models of school cafeterias an option as the Ministry of Education addresses the shortage of concession stands

In light of the challenges in filling vacant canteen positions as vendors age and retire, the Ministry of Education is in talks with schools that may be interested and prepared to adopt a different canteen operating model.

A central kitchen model, where meals can be pre-ordered and prepared before being delivered to schools, is being explored and has already been piloted at Yusof Ishak Secondary School.

Existing vendors affected by such a transition will be helped to move to a nearby school or work for the central kitchen operator, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said.

When asked if the central kitchen model would be expanded to other schools, he said it would depend on the different needs of different schools and transitions would be made as necessary.

Daycare pilot will be launched in December

The Early Childhood Development Agency is finalizing details of a three-year pilot childcare program that will begin in December, said Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling.

The pilot comes as nurseries here, from January 1, 2025, will no longer be required to provide their services on Saturdays, as previously announced. This means early childhood educators will have a five-day work week.

The goal of the pilot program is to offer an affordable and safe service that families with babies rely on, Ms. Sun said. It will also check whether there is a market for such a service and whether operators can build a sustainable portfolio of childminders.

Details on designated operators, as well as how interested parents can apply, will be shared in the coming weeks.