TRIPARTITE GUIDELINES ON NON DISCRIMINATORY JOB ADVERTISEMENTS
Introduction
The Ministry of Manpower together with the Singapore National Employers’
Federation/Singapore Business Federation and the National Trades Union Congress
issued the Tripartite Guidelines on Non Discriminatory Job Advertisements in
1999 to promote the use of objective criteria in the recruitment of job
candidates. The Guidelines has been reviewed in consultation with the
Tripartite partners and taking into consideration public feedback on job
advertisements. It serves as a reference for employers in their recruitment
process.
Principle
Under the Singapore constitution, all persons are equal before the law and are
entitled to equal protection under the law. In line with the principle of
equality and responsible/enlightened employment practices, employers should
select candidates based on merit i.e. qualification, skills, experience and
attributes which are pertinent to the job.
Employers are encouraged to implement the tripartite guidelines to select the
best candidate for the job, based on the job requirements. Employers should
provide equal opportunity in the selection of candidates regardless of age,
race, gender, religion, marital status, criminal record and disability as part
of their enlightened employment practices. In the case of a female candidate
who is in the family way, employers should also extend the same opportunity to
the candidate and consider her job suitability on the basis of her
qualification, skills, aptitude and experience.
As valued employees and talents are critical to the success of an organization,
companies therefore should not limit its pool of candidates but extend the
scope to attract the best candidate for the job. This would benefit the company
and at the same time provide equal opportunities to candidates of diverse
background and attributes. The principle of providing equal opportunities
should be clearly spelt out as part of the company’s Human Resource policy,
communicated and implemented in the recruitment process. In its placement of
job advertisements in all advertising media including online advertisements,
employers should set out clear, objective and relevant criteria.
Where practical requirement of the job dictates the need for employees of a
particular sex, this must be supported by valid reasons. In addition, words or
phrases that suggest preference for job candidates of a particular gender such
as “female working environment” or “waitress” should not be used in the job
advertisements.
Employers should not stipulate age as a requirement for employment. Words or
phrases that suggest preference for job candidates of a particular age group
should also not be used in job advertisements. Examples include “young”,
“youthful working environment” or “fresh school leaver/ fresh graduate.
Race should not be a criterion for the selection of job
candidates as multiracialism is a fundamental principle in Singapore and
selection based on race is unacceptable. Job advertisements featuring
statements like “Chinese preferred” and “Malay preferred” are therefore
unacceptable. LANGUAGE
Example
• Candidates are required to load and unload sacks of rice of at least 10 kg
each.
• Candidates are required to handle heavy equipment.
If a job entails proficiency in a particular language, employers should justify
the need for the requirement. This would reduce ambiguity and minimize
incidence of misunderstanding between the job seekers and the recruiting party.
Example
• Chinese language Teacher for Pre School Centre, good credit in ‘O’ Level
Chinese.
• Translator for a leading Malay sports magazine. Proficiency in Malay is a
must.
• Tour Guides to take Chinese/Japanese/Indian tourist groups. Knowledge of
Mandarin / Japanese / Indian dialects is essential.
Example
• Women’s Fashion Boutique requires salesgirl to model clothes while on the
job.
Criteria which should NOT be in Job Advertisements
If the nature of the job is physically demanding such as the handling of heavy
cargo, the required physical attributes or other job-related criteria should be
clearly described in the job advertisements, rather than indicating an age cut
off.
Marital status is an irrelevant criterion in employment; as jobs can be
performed equally well by either married or single persons.
Religion is unacceptable as a criterion for recruitment EXCEPT in cases where
employees have to perform religious functions as part of the job requirement.
In such cases, the requirements should be clearly and objectively presented.
In line with the principle of equal opportunities, fair and objective employment
practices should be extended beyond the recruitment stage to cover all stages
of human resource management. To apply this principle consistently across the
various function of human resource management, employers can refer to the Code
of Responsible Employment Practices, the Tripartite Guidelines on Family
Friendly Workplace Practices, the Employer’s Guide to Age-Friendly Employment
Practices and the Tripartite Guidelines on the Employment of Older Workers
Above 62 years old.
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