SINGAPORE - The Manpower Ministry is considering two possible improvements to work practices here.

The first is a new tripartite standard on recruitment practices, which will specify that employers should inform all shortlisted applicants about the outcome of their job interviews, Second Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo told Parliament on Monday (Oct 2).

The second is insurance for freelancers.

Mrs Teo said the public sector will take the lead in adopting the specified recruitment practices when the standard is launched, without stating a date for the launch.

Employers who sign on to these standards voluntarily are recognised on the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) website. They can use the "Tripartite Standards" logo in their recruitment and marketing efforts.

The recruitment practices standard is likely to be among four more standards planned for release by the end of this year, after the first such standard was launched in July to specify better employment conditions for term-contract employees.

Mrs Teo was responding to labour MP Patrick Tay (West Coast GRC), who said he has met many Singaporeans who are concerned about not receiving any updates on the status of their job applications, including for public-sector positions.

As for whether applicants should be notified even if they are not shortlisted for interviews, Mrs Teo said the Government, employers and unions working on the tripartite standards decided that this would place an onerous burden on some companies, especially smaller ones, which have not fully automated their recruitment processes to deal with large volumes of online applicants.

"However, the tripartite partners agree that the standard can be updated over time as companies make progress," she said.

Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan also told Parliament that a tripartite workgroup which is studying ways to improve the well-being of the 200,000 or so freelance workers here will look at insurance coverage for them.