These cases, covering foreigners and Singaporeans, made up half of about 300 complaints in total which were received by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), according to a report by Today newspaper.
The banking and information technology sectors saw the most number of complaints, a trend which was also witnessed in the year 2013.
However, TAFEP General Manager Roslyn Ten said many cases stem from misunderstanding and not from genuine bias, and urged companies to improve communication with job seekers or existing employees by explaining why, for example, foreigners instead of Singaporeans were hired or promoted.
In some cases, Singaporean jobseekers may have commitments at home, and are reluctant to take up overseas postings or jobs which require frequent travelling, she pointed out.
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"It's quite difficult for them (Singaporeans) to take up (these) and (they're) not as versatile as their foreign colleagues, in terms of being very open to being relocated or just to travel," she added.
The framework requires employers to consider Singaporeans first for job openings. In 2012, there were 303 cases, according to Today.
Apart from alleged discrimination based on nationality, one in five complaints was bias linked to age - a similar proportion to alleged discrimination related to language or race.
On the number of complaints from the banking and IT sectors, Ten felt this was because "people in these sectors are more vocal."
Reiterating that many unfair employment practices were largely due to miscommunication, she said clear-cut cases of discrimination against Singaporeans are rare. "It's really more of perception," she said to Today.
In cases where companies do not adhere to fair employment practices, TAFEP offers suggestions to boost their human resource (HR) systems, such as refining job application forms or training recruiters in interviewing techniques.
It also educates companies on a sectorial level - through union talks, seminars and campaigns.