Mental health declaration for job applicants discriminatory

Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices updates guidelines; advocates cheer move

Posed photo of a depressed person. The Tafep website advises employers that "all declarations on mental health condition should also be removed from the job application forms". PHOTO: ST FILE
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Asking job applicants to declare their mental health conditions without good reason is discriminatory, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) made clear in an addition to its guidelines last month.

A Tafep spokesman told The Straits Times it changed the guidelines listed on its website in December, and has engaged more than 8,000 employers through e-mail and other means to raise awareness.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 20, 2020, with the headline Mental health declaration for job applicants discriminatory. Subscribe