350 firms on notice for discriminatory practices

Singapore Manpower Minister Josephine Teo has highlighted that 350 companies here have been placed on the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) watchlist.

The FCF applies to companies in Singapore, and lays out guidelines for fair hiring practices – especially in terms of giving local Singaporeans fair opportunities to access job opportunities.

Companies on the FCF watchlist can expect longer processing times on Employment Pass applications, as these will be more closely investigated by the Ministry of Manpower.

However, the firms are still eligible for schemes such as Workforce Singapore’s Adapt & Grow, which looks to help Singaporeans who have been impacted by economic slowdown and restructuring.

The 350 companies currently on the FCF watchlist hail from industries such as administrative and support services, construction, education, and infocomm, and employ a range of professionals from engineers, to IT professionals, to managers.

“The number of companies on the watchlist is largely stable. We continue to work with each one of them to improve their hiring practices. As and when we are told of companies that have practices that are suspected to be discriminatory, TAFEP will engage the companies,” explained Teo, referring to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices, which works with companies here to address unfair hiring practices.