SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker took to social media to expose what she felt was a deceitful move by her former employer.
In her post on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, she explained that after handing in her resignation in mid-November, her boss waived the standard two-week notice period.
However, she later found out that the company had deducted the amount she would have earned during that notice period from her final paycheck.
“I expressed my willingness to serve the required two-week notice period to assist with any tasks. However, my boss told me it wasn’t necessary and that I could leave immediately,” she wrote.
“I respected this decision, assuming it was to avoid any disruption to operations, so I left as instructed.”
The company also sent her a letter explaining that her final paycheck only contained a few dollars ‘because she left without serving her notice period.’
“In the contract, it is explicitly stated that the ‘company may waive the notice with payment in lieu of the notice’,” she said.
“This situation is troubling because I did not refuse to serve the notice period; I was told it wasn’t necessary. I am not only not being compensated for the notice period but also penalized for allegedly failing to serve it.”
Feeling cheated, she turned to the Reddit community for advice on handling the situation, asking if she could take legal or professional steps to resolve the issue.
“What avenues can I pursue to address this matter? Thank you in advance for any guidance,” she wrote.
“I think you’re fighting a lost cause and it’s best to just move on…”
Many Singaporean Redditors defended her former employer in the comments section, saying the company’s actions were within legal boundaries.
One Redditor said, “Well, everything you and the boss said was true – you don’t need to serve your notice period. But there are consequences.
I hear you, and yes, it does sound like the boss played dirty. But, typically, you want these exceptions (i.e. notice waived, etc) written down on paper or email.”
Another commented, “Do you have in writing that the company has agreed to waive your notice period?
Such a document is usually formal and would require your signature as an acknowledgement. If not, I think you’re fighting a lost cause, and it’s best just to move on.”
Others were more sympathetic, agreeing that the situation seemed unfair given that the worker had only complied with her boss’s instructions and left as told.
Several Redditors suggested that the worker consult legal advice or reach out to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for guidance. Others recommended filing a complaint with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).
One Redditor wrote, “There should be black and white on the resignation with the last day of work in proper writing. That’s employment contract law. Go to MoM for help.”
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MoM), if an employee leaves the company without serving the full notice period, they must pay the employer the amount they would have earned during that notice period.
Conversely, suppose the employer chooses to terminate the contract early: In that case, they are obligated to pay the employee an amount equal to the salary the employee would have earned during that notice period.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
