Business Times - 18 Jan 2007
SPH implements revised guidelines on job ads
By WEE LI-EN
EMPLOYERS seeking to advertise job vacancies in Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) newspapers or online platforms will have to make sure their ads are not discriminatory.
In support of fair employment practices, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (Tafep) said yesterday that SPH will implement its new revised Tripartite Guidelines on Non-Discriminatory Job Advertisements.
As a result, SPH will align its vetting guidelines for job ads published in its newspapers to the revised tripartite guidelines. Employers should state selection criteria clearly in job advertisements which should be relevant to the job such as qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience. However, criteria such as age, race, gender, language, marital status or religion should not be generally stipulated.
Where such criteria such as proficiency in a particular language or candidates from a particular race are required for the job, employers should state the reasons.
Tafep said that by ensuring that selection criteria are relevant and the job is open to all suitable candidates, employers can 'select the best from a larger pool of potential employees', and that this will benefit the company. Tafep co-chairman Bob Tan said print media under SPH plays an important role in publicising job opportunities and helping employers find suitable employees, and that SPH can help Tafep as a partner to advise employers on 'how best to craft a job advertisement' in line with the guidelines.
SPH classified advertisements senior vice-president Elsie Chua said yesterday that when it first implemented the non-discriminatory guidelines seven years ago, there was a 'tremendous challenge' to get advertisers to comply with the guidelines. However, by helping advertisers to describe their job positions more effectively, there was no need to turn advertisements away.
