Employees Take a Stand Against Workplace Discrimination

18 Feb 2016Press Releases

Fair@Work Promise Gives Individuals A Voice

1. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) today launched the Fair@WorkPromise initiative to galvanisemore support for the creation of fair and inclusive workplaces, at the Central Business District.

2. The Fair@Work Promise calls to attention the possibility of unconscious bias in individuals and encourages more employees, their colleagues and their loved ones to commit to the creation off air and inclusive workplaces. TAFEP believes that every individual has an important role to play in diminishing biased behaviour at work.

3. “All of us want to work in a workplace where we are not judged based on biases and stereotypes. To achieve this, we must first recognise and acknowledge that we all have biases. Unconscious or not. These biases may play out in our everyday interactions and behaviours at work. It is important that each of us plays our part in making our workplaces fair and inclusive. We can start by making the Fair@Work Promise. This is a personal commitment not to judge others based on stereotypes or biases, and to see them for their abilities. Whether we are an employee or employer, the Fair@Work Promise is the first step to eradicate discrimination. In TAFEP, all my team members have made their promises. We hope to see more and more people make their personal commitment to be fair and inclusive so that together, wecan make a positive difference!”said TAFEP’s General Manager, Mrs Roslyn Ten.

4. Employees of several MNCs, SMEs and TAFEP’s tripartite partners including MOM, SNEF, NTUC, Singapore Press Holdings, Starbucks Coffee Singapore, OCBC Bank and Sakae Holdings are among the first to signal their personal commitment via the Fair@Work Microsite. The strong support, motivated by their management teams who also penned their own promises, is a progressive step for these organisations who have previously signed the TAFEP Employers’ Pledge of Fair Employment Practices.

5. “Starbucks is proud to support TAFEP in the Fair@Work Promise initiative as one of the pioneering group of companies to commit to this meaningful cause,” said Jane Lau, Managing Director, Starbucks Singapore. “Fair@Work Promise is a natural extension of our Starbucks core values, which includes embracing diversity and treating one another with respect and dignity. Our partners (employees) are always at the heart of everything we do at Starbucks. By lending our voice to this effort, we hope to be a force for positive change and to encourage our customers and the local business community to come together to create a fair and inclusive workplace environment for all."

6. SPH Chief Executive Officer Alan Chan expressed support for the initiative. “SPH is a signatory of the Employers’ Pledge of Fair Employment Practices. It is a natural progression for our colleagues to likewise show their commitment to fair and inclusive workplaces. Seeing people for their abilities and skills is something we strongly believe in, and is perfectly aligned to our core values of excellence and teamwork. We hope to see people from all walks of life come forward to play a part in creating workplaces we would all enjoy working in.”

7. Mr Jason Ho, Head of Group Human Resources, OCBC Bank, said: “At OCBC, we have always believed in treating each other fairly and with respect as it is already entrenched in our core values. Therefore, supporting the Fair@Work Promise initiative came naturally to us. It is also in line with our commitment to fairness of opportunity and creating an inclusive workplace. For instance, we have invested resources and introduced various programmes to help our employees succeed in both their careers and personal lives. The Fair@Work Promise is an excellent way for everyone in OCBC, from senior management to individual staff, to demonstrate their commitment to living and breathing our values.”

8. “Sakae Holdings is very excited to be part of this drive to get individuals to be Fair@Work. Respect for others and valuing the abilities of others are very much in-line with our core value of Compassion to all. It is when all the employees in a company truly believe in displaying care and compassionate for each other at work that it becomes part of the company’s DNA. By taking this Promise, we at Sakae are all affirming that seeing people for their skills and abilities is how we can build great companies and workplaces”, enthused Mr Douglas Foo, Chairman of Sakae Holdings.

9. This initiative is scheduled to get more employees on board the fair and inclusive journey, throughour engagement with progressive employers, working with partners and promoting the initiative through public awareness initiatives including advertising, road shows and events.

10. Individuals can make their Promises at www.tafep.sg/fairatworkpromise, on their laptops and mobile devices. Three simple steps are all that are needed, and individuals will be able to see their Promises published on the site. Individuals who submit their promises atthe 2-day launch event at Chevron House on 18, 19 February 2016, will receive a Fair@Work Promise pom-pom pin, symbolic of their commitment to create a fair and inclusive workplace.