Jobseekers cite discrimination over age and nationality

More resident jobseekers felt they were treated unfairly during their job search because of their age or nationality in 2023, compared with the year before.

But overall, there was a decrease in the proportion of employees and job seekers experiencing discrimination over factors such as age, race and mental health.

The improvements reflect the efforts by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) and tripartite partners in promoting fair employment practices, said the ministry in its latest fair employment practices report released on Sept 24.

However, employees are still apprehensive about seeking help after experiencing discrimination, said MOM.

Fewer resident employees or 29.3 per cent of those who faced discrimination at work sought help in 2023, compared with 35.3 per cent in 2022.

“This also means that around seven in 10 who experienced workplace discrimination did not seek help. The upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation will protect those who report discrimination at the workplace,” said Mr Ang Boon Heng, director of MOM’s manpower research and statistics department.

However, the proportion of employees who turned to the Government for help has more than doubled, from 5.4 per cent in 2022 to 13.1 per cent in 2023. The 2023 figure is also more than triple the 4.7 per cent recorded in 2021. Formal avenues of help from the Government include MOM, Tafep, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT).

A total of 3,480 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 15 and above, excluding full-time national servicemen, participated in the survey.

According to the report, there was an overall decline in the proportion of both employees and job seekers who said they were discriminated over their mental health condition in the workplace or during the job search.

The significant drop can be attributed to increased publicity and awareness on mental health among workers, said MOM.

The three most common forms of discrimination faced by job seekers were over age, race and nationality.

Nationality overtook mental health discrimination as the third most common discrimination faced by job seekers in 2023. The proportion of job seekers facing mental health discrimination fell to 2.9 per cent in 2023, dropping to almost half of the 5 per cent recorded the year before.

Similar to 2022, the most common source of discrimination faced by job seekers in 2023 include job advertisements stating their preference for specific demographic characteristics without justifications, as well as requests for irrelevant personal information.

Overall workplace discrimination has declined over the years – 6 per cent of employees experienced discrimination in 2023, lower than the 8.2 per cent recorded in 2022 and 24.1 per cent in 2018.

Employees at work experienced the most discrimination over age, race, nationality and mental health.

Among employees in the workplace, 1.6 per cent said they experienced discrimination over their nationality and mental health condition.

But age discrimination remained the most common form of discrimination faced by both job seekers and employees alike.

“The proportion of job seekers who faced discrimination due to their age during job search rose from 16.6 per cent in 2022 to 18.1 per cent in 2023,” said Mr Ang.

Among job seekers who experienced age discrimination, 12.2 per cent were aged 50 and below, while 37.9 per cent were above the age of 50.

MOM said that greater awareness among the public on what constitutes as work discrimination, such as in regard to age and nationality, could be one reason why the proportion of both forms of discrimination has trended upwards. The ageing population could be another contributing factor.

The MOM report also found that formal procedures set in the workplace reduce the likelihood of discrimination across most forms of discrimination, except for mental health.

The formal procedures, which allow employers and employees to resolve complaints effectively and eradicate errant behaviours at work, are particularly more effective in managing workplace discrimination due to age and gender.

When asked why they were not seeking help, employees cited reasons like being afraid of awkward work relations, which could also affect their career or future job opportunities.

Under the upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation, employers will be required to set up proper grievance-handling processes, protecting the employees against retaliation from companies.

Mr Ang said the legislation will send a stronger signal that age discrimination against job seekers is not acceptable.

The ministry added that it will continue to work with employers to ensure they are aware of what constitutes as discrimination in the workplace.