The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) will launch a Workplace Counselling and Support Service for workers who face discrimination or harassment at work. It will also start a program to test practical ideas for women returning to work after a career break, Human Resources Online reported.
Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau announced the service on 18 September. She spoke at the SCWO SAGE Summit 2026. The service is meant to give workers a trusted place to turn when they are unsure how to respond or fear the effect on their careers.
Why Workers Stay Silent
The service responds to concern about under-reporting. Lau cited the Ministry of Manpower’s 2023 Fair Employment Practices Survey. It found that only about 29% of employees who faced discrimination at work sought help, down from 35% in 2022.
Many workers stay silent because they fear being marginalised or worry about the cost to their careers, she said. “Having the right protections on paper is not enough if people don’t feel safe using them.”
Workers who use the service can get counselling and support as they consider next steps. SCWO will also help them recognise what they may be experiencing and build the confidence to seek help. The service complements the Workplace Fairness Act, which makes discrimination based on sex, caregiving responsibilities or pregnancy unlawful.
Helping Women Return After a Break
The summit also focused on women whose careers paused. Common reasons include caregiving, health issues and other life circumstances. SCWO’s engagements surfaced repeated job applications without a response, doubts about whether past experience still counts, and a loss of confidence as the gap lengthens.
“A career does not need to be uninterrupted, to be meaningful,” Lau said. She added that workplaces need to reflect that careers do not always follow a straight path.
To act on this, SCWO will launch its first SCWO CoLab. It aims to test and scale ground-up ideas that support women returning to work. The effort follows SCWO’s study, “Women’s Workforce Re-entry: Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities.”
What Employers and Families Can Do
Lau said support for women at work cannot rest on policy alone. Employers should make sure flexibility does not come with an unspoken career penalty.
Flexible arrangements can go beyond working from home to include staggered hours, part-time roles and job-sharing. Families also have a role in sharing caregiving and household work more equitably. That can give both women and men more room to take part fully in work and family life.
