Passing a law that defines workplace discrimination is only half the picture. The other half is deciding what actually happens when an employee believes they have experienced it. Singapore answered that question with the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill, passed in Parliament on 4 November 2025, which sets out exactly how a discrimination complaint moves from a grievance to a resolved case.
This second piece of legislation completes the Workplace Fairness Act framework, and it is worth understanding separately from the substantive law on what counts as discrimination, because it governs the practical experience of anyone who actually needs to use it.
A Three-Tiered System
The dispute resolution framework is built around three stages, designed to resolve most cases without needing a full tribunal hearing. The process places a strong emphasis on preserving workplace relationships where possible, rather than immediately escalating every complaint into a formal legal dispute.
Step One: Mediation
The first stage is mediation, where the employee and employer are brought together, usually with the involvement of the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, to try to resolve the complaint amicably. This mirrors how many other employment disputes in Singapore are already handled, on the theory that many workplace issues can be resolved faster and with less damage to the working relationship through facilitated discussion than through adversarial proceedings.
Step Two: The Employment Claims Tribunal
If mediation does not resolve the complaint, the matter can proceed to the Employment Claims Tribunal, or ECT, which will hear discrimination claims up to and including 250,000 dollars. This is a significantly higher threshold than one might expect for what is sometimes thought of as a lower value claims tribunal, reflecting the fact that discrimination cases can involve substantial claims for lost income or damages. Claims above this threshold are directed to the High Court instead.
The ECT is designed to operate with simplified procedures and a judge-led approach, meaning the judge takes an active role in managing the case rather than leaving it entirely to the parties, which is intended to keep the process accessible and efficient rather than resembling a full blown civil trial.
What You Can and Cannot Claim
Because this framework sits specifically under the Workplace Fairness Act, it is built to handle discrimination claims tied to the protected characteristics defined in that law, such as age, race, nationality, and caregiving responsibilities. It is not a general purpose tribunal for every type of workplace grievance, so claims unrelated to discrimination as defined by the Act would generally need to go through other existing channels.
Unions are allowed to assist their members through both the mediation stage and ECT hearings, but legal representation is generally not permitted at the ECT stage itself. This is consistent with how Singapore’s Employment Claims Tribunal has traditionally operated for other types of employment claims, keeping the process accessible without requiring parties to hire lawyers.
Rules That Protect Both Sides
The law includes several structural safeguards. Strict time bars apply, meaning there are prescribed time limits within which a person must file a request for mediation, so complaints cannot be raised indefinitely after the fact. Recognising the sensitive nature of discrimination claims, proceedings are held in private rather than in open court, which is intended to protect both the complainant and the respondent from unnecessary public exposure while the matter is being resolved.
The framework also allows for frivolous claims to be struck out, giving the tribunal a mechanism to filter out complaints that are not genuinely grounded in the law, protecting employers from being tied up in baseless disputes while still keeping the door open for legitimate claims.
How This Complements the Substantive Law
Together with the Workplace Fairness Act itself, this dispute resolution framework represents the second and final component of Singapore’s new workplace fairness regime. Where the first Act defines what discrimination actually is, this Bill defines how a person actually gets a remedy if they believe they have experienced it. Both pieces of legislation are expected to come fully into force together, giving Singapore, for the first time, a complete statutory pathway from defining unlawful discrimination to resolving individual claims about it.
Building on an Existing Tribunal
Singapore’s Employment Claims Tribunal did not appear out of nowhere for this purpose. It already existed as the venue for resolving salary related disputes, such as unpaid wages or wrongful deductions, under the Employment Claims Act. What the Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill does is extend the ECT’s role to also cover discrimination claims under the Workplace Fairness Act, rather than setting up an entirely separate tribunal system from scratch.
This design choice has practical benefits. Employees and employers dealing with a discrimination claim will be interacting with a body that already has established procedures, trained adjudicators, and a track record of handling employment disputes efficiently, rather than navigating a brand new institution with no track record. It also means the mediation-first approach, which has long been standard practice for salary claims through the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, extends naturally to discrimination claims as well.
What Preparing a Claim Involves
For an employee considering a discrimination claim, the process is likely to start well before any formal filing. Because the claim needs to show that a protected characteristic, rather than a legitimate business reason, was behind an adverse employment decision, having a clear timeline of events, any relevant written communications, and details of how similarly situated colleagues without the protected characteristic were treated can all matter. This is a higher bar than simply feeling that a decision was unfair, since the law requires a connection to be shown between the protected characteristic and the decision.
Employers, for their part, are likely to want clear documentation showing that decisions were based on legitimate, job related criteria, which is part of why many companies are being advised to review and formalise their hiring, appraisal, and dismissal processes ahead of the Act coming fully into force, rather than waiting until a claim actually arises.
Both sides are also likely to find that the mediation stage carries more weight than it might first appear. Because mediation is a required first step rather than an optional one, and because it is run by experienced case officers who handle employment disputes regularly, a meaningful proportion of discrimination complaints are expected to be resolved at this stage without ever reaching a tribunal hearing, similar to how the existing mediation process already resolves a large share of salary related disputes before they need adjudication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring a lawyer with me to the Employment Claims Tribunal hearing?
Generally, legal representation is not permitted at the Employment Claims Tribunal, consistent with how the tribunal already operates for other employment claims, though unions can assist their members through the process instead.
What happens if mediation fails and I decide not to pursue the matter further?
You are not obligated to proceed to the Employment Claims Tribunal if mediation does not resolve your complaint. Pursuing the matter further is your choice, subject to the applicable time limits for filing.
Is there a time limit for filing a discrimination complaint after the incident occurs?
Yes, the law imposes strict time bars for filing a request for mediation, so complaints need to be raised within the prescribed period rather than being left indefinitely, though the specific time frame depends on the applicable regulations.
Can my employer be penalised on top of having to pay me compensation?
The framework is primarily focused on resolving individual claims and providing remedies to the affected employee, though separate regulatory consequences for employers can arise depending on the nature and severity of the conduct involved.
What happens if my claim is worth more than 250,000 dollars?
Claims exceeding the Employment Claims Tribunal’s threshold of 250,000 dollars are directed to the High Court of Singapore instead, where the case would proceed under normal civil litigation procedures rather than the simplified tribunal process.
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About the Author: Randy Alta
