Felicia, 39, faced dismissal for alleged poor performance shortly after completing her six-month probationary period at a company where she managed office operations and employee engagement. After experiencing a shift in her supervisor's behavior—marked by increasingly tight deadlines and frequent criticism—Felicia began suspecting her termination was imminent. Encouraged by a recent court ruling on wrongful dismissal and friends’ support, the union member filed a case through the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) seeking redress.
While her dispute was resolved through mediation, resulting in a settlement equivalent to three months’ salary, Felicia’s case highlights the growing awareness among workers of their rights when contesting dismissals. Her situation came at a time when the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) released its first set of 17 published judgments in 2026 since its establishment in 2017. These judgments shed light on employment obligations and the interpretation of laws and tripartite guidelines governing workplace disputes.
The judgments address a range of issues including wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, maternity protections, and re-employment rules. One notable case involved a 63-year-old worker awarded $26,350 after being dismissed three months post-retirement age, with the tribunal finding that his employer breached contract terms and failed to comply with re-employment obligations. The Employment Claims Tribunal’s rulings highlight the burden on employers to prove justifiable grounds for dismissal, especially when citing poor performance, consistent with tripartite guidelines introduced in 2024. These guidelines, while non-binding, are referenced frequently by tribunal magistrates.
Legal experts emphasized the significance of the published judgments as they clarify concepts such as "just cause," proportionality, and evidence burdens. They serve as important references for employers, employees, and unions alike to navigate common dispute scenarios more consistently. However, practitioners caution that these cases depend heavily on specific facts and do not signal a fundamental shift toward a more employee-centric legal environment. They also underscore the importance for employees to maintain thorough documentation such as performance appraisals and employer communications should disputes arise.
The judgments arrive at an opportune moment preceding the enforcement of the Workplace Fairness Act in 2027, which aims to prevent discrimination based on characteristics including age, nationality, and sex. The Act will expand the ECT’s remit to adjudicate disputes under this new legislation, further shaping Singapore’s evolving employment landscape.
Separately, ongoing reviews of the Employment Act are exploring enhancements to worker protections, notably with regards to retrenchment. Recent parliamentary debates followed a spike in retrenchments, the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic, with calls for clearer definitions and possibly stronger employer obligations on notification periods and support. The ECT recently ruled that retrenchment benefits are only payable if stipulated in contracts or collective agreements, and do not extend automatically under existing law when service is under two years.
Felicia’s personal experience reflects broader changes in work arrangements, with shorter tenures becoming more common. She now proposes six-month contracts better aligned with her specialized skills—a shift mirrored by legal commentary noting evolving employment models. Singapore has already adapted to such trends through the Platform Workers Act, providing specific protections to gig and platform-based workers outside traditional employment frameworks.
As Singapore navigates these shifts, the recent Employment Claims Tribunal judgments and ongoing legislative reforms underscore the effort to balance employer and employee interests while ensuring that protections remain relevant in a dynamic job market.