One of our more pertinent concerns is that the WFL does not make mention of reasonable accommodations. Without the assurance of reasonable accommodations, persons with disabilities will face barriers in attaining, maintaining, and/or advancing in employment. Inaccessible work environments can worsen physical or mental health conditions due to heightened stress or strain. We’re thrilled to have your support as we advocate for improvements to the WFL! Here’s how YOU can play an important role in making change happen:
We’ve been raising critical points about optimising the WFL with policymakers and are now calling on MPs to bring these up in the upcoming Parliamentary debate, likely happening on 7 January 2025. Your voice matters! Writing to your MP could significantly boost the chances of these issues being addressed.
Here’s how you can help in the below steps:
- Find Your MP:
- Click this link.
- Enter your postal code in the search bar. It will show the MP(s) for your SMC or GRC.
- If you’re in a GRC, click through the listed MPs to find the one responsible for your area.
- Most MPs will have an email address listed
- Write Your Email:
- Be respectful and authentic.
- Share the key points in your own words, especially if you have personal experiences to highlight (e.g., as a person with a disability, if applicable).
- Don’t worry if you’re unsure what to say. We’ve prepared a handy template below that outlines the importance of reasonable accommodations and what your MP can do during the debate.
Together, we can make sure these vital issues are heard! Take a few minutes today to reach out to your MP and let them know how important this is. Your effort could help create meaningful change!
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Dear [Name of MP]
My name is [Your Name] – I am a resident of your constituency at [Name of SMC or GRC].
As you know, the Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) – Singapore’s first workplace anti-discrimination law – was introduced in Parliament last month on 12 November 2024. While I am heartened that there will finally be anti-discrimination legislation, it has come to my attention that the bill as it currently is lacking in certain key provisions and protections for particular historically-marginalised groups such as the disability community.
For example, the bill currently has a limited definition of discrimination that does not include more common forms of discrimination that persons with disabilities face – such as the denial of reasonable accommodations.
Reasonable accommodations are essential and necessary modifications for persons with disabilities to participate and thrive in the workforce. The denial of reasonable accommodations is therefore a form of prohibited discrimination under international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) – which Singapore has ratified in 2013.
Reasonable accommodations by definition do not cause an undue burden to the employer, as there are practical criteria that can be in place to assist employers in determining whether an accommodation request is reasonable – criteria such as availability of funding and technical assistance in the financing and implementation of the accommodation, size of the company, size of the workplace, etc.
By recognising reasonable accommodations in the WFL, and by including such practical criteria in law for employers to follow, we can build an employment landscape in Singapore that is aligned with international best standards, while putting in place systems in Singapore workplaces that can assist both (1) employers in objectively assessing accommodation requests, while (2) assuring as many persons with disabilities receive the necessary accommodations to participate and thrive in the workforce as possible. This is a win-win situation that is both practical and outcomes-based.
Currently as it is, there are no such requirements or laws in Singapore for employers to provide reasonable accommodations. According to research by the Disabled People’s Association (DPA), the current status quo of leaving provision of reasonable accommodations up to each employer has led to persons with disabilities facing great difficulty in attaining reasonable accommodations – having a direct impact on how persons with disabilities secure, maintain, or advance in employment.
I thus am writing if you can consider introducing an amendment calling for the definition of discrimination to be expanded to cover the denial of reasonable accommodations.
Alternatively, if the definition of discrimination is to remain with the current proposed definition found in the current bill, I am writing to ask if you can consider raising the following during the debate on the WFL in Parliament: I understand that the government plans to not include reasonable accommodation protocols in law but instead to begin with a Tripartite advisory on reasonable accommodations. However, Tripartite advisories are non-binding, and there is thus the risk of this approach of an advisory sending the wrong message about reasonable accommodations being “good to have but not necessary” when in reality reasonable accommodations are necessary for persons with disabilities to participate and thrive in the workforce. What steps will the government put in place to prevent such unintentional messaging about reasonable accommodations? On a related note, with the approach of awareness raising, the government will still leave it to chance as to whether persons with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodations. What intentional steps in the awareness raising process will the government plan to take to measure the effectiveness of the upcoming Tripartite advisory?
[For more about reasonable accommodations and the benefit of including reasonable accommodation protocols in law, see section 1.1.1 of this report by DPA.]
Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
