Wed,Sep 25,2013
Singapore's Manpower Ministry said on Wednesday that it has required ten companies to put up online public apologies for 30 days after finding their job advertisements to be discriminatory, mostly against the local workforce.
The firms were also barred from hiring new foreign workers for six months following the publication of these apologies, the ministry said.
It said that investigations have found the firms' advertisements to be not aligned with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.
Under the guidelines, employers who advertise a position requiring a specific attribute which may be viewed as discriminatory should ensure that the attribute is indeed a requirement of the job, and state the reason for the requirement in the advertisement.
"For example, words or phrases that exclude Singaporeans or indicate preference for non-Singaporeans and those that exclude or indicate a preference for a certain age group or gender should not be used in job advertisements," the ministry said in a press release.
In one case, a company had advertised for the position of a full-time teacher, indicating "preferably Malaysians with teaching experience" as a requirement.
In another, a company advertised for the position of a director, who must be "aged around 30 years."
The latest action brought the total number of companies the ministry has taken action against for discriminatory hiring practices since March to 12.
In March, the ministry took action against two companies -- Incofood Singapore and Expedia Singapore. Both companies put up public apologies as suggested by the ministry.
Singapore has been tightening its foreign labor policies in recent years, with some of the officials voicing their support in recent months for policies preventing discriminatory hiring practices against local workers.
Most recently, local firms were required to first put up advertisements looking for job seekers before they hire foreigners, barring certain exceptions.
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