Source: Human Resources Director Asia

Human Resources Director Asia provides a critical analysis for HR professionals in Singapore on the use of artificial intelligence in dismissal processes, in light of the country's new Workplace Fairness Legislation. The article warns that while AI can offer efficiency in performance management and identifying underperformers, relying on it for termination decisions is fraught with legal risk under the new laws. The legislation places a strong emphasis on procedural fairness and non-discrimination, principles that can be easily violated by poorly designed or unmonitored AI systems.

The piece outlines key compliance steps for HR departments. These include ensuring that any AI tools used are free from inherent biases (e.g., age, gender, race), that the criteria used by the AI are transparent and job-related, and that there is always meaningful human oversight in the final decision-making process. The article stresses that an employee must be given a fair hearing and an opportunity to be heard, a right that cannot be fulfilled by an algorithm alone. It serves as a practical guide for Singaporean businesses to ensure that their adoption of HR technology does not lead to costly legal disputes and non-compliance with the new fairness standards.