Employee says supervisor docked her pay after she resigned, claiming the money was needed to ‘hire new staff’

SINGAPORE: An employee recently shared online that her supervisor decided to deduct her salary at the last minute after she submitted her resignation, claiming it was because “the company needed to hire new staff to replace her.”

In a post on a local forum on Monday (Oct 6), the employee said she was taken aback by the decision as there had been no mention of such a condition when she first joined.

“I’ve been working there for about three months, and from the start, I did mention that I might not be able to stay long, but I was still willing to try, as I felt the job might not suit me. My boss didn’t say anything about salary deductions or other conditions at that time.”

However, after she tendered her resignation, her supervisor reportedly blamed her for not stating her intentions earlier.

The supervisor allegedly said that if she had known sooner, she would have offered her a “short-term or part-time contract instead.”

Unsure of what to do, the employee turned to the online community for advice, asking whether her boss was actually entitled to deduct her pay in this situation. 

“Is it actually okay for her to deduct my pay like that?” she asked. “She said the original contract was meant for long-term staff, but it doesn’t state any fixed period or minimum months or years that I must complete. She’s also claiming that I’m not a permanent staff member and that this is the pay I’m supposed to be getting.”

“Illegal, they cannot just cut your pay.”

Her post quickly caught the attention of local Redditors, many of whom advised her to report the matter to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

One said, “Report to MOM. Salary deductions should be explained in the contract (such as training/uniform fees if you work less than xx months). Unless your notice period isn’t a full month, they deduct/prorate.”

Another commented, “Always go by the signed contract detail, and you know your smartphone has a recording function. drop a call to mom for further assistance.”

A third added, “Illegal, they cannot just cut your pay, report to MOM.”

As per the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) guidelines, employers may only make salary deductions under specific circumstances, such as for CPF contributions, unpaid leave or absence from work, loss or damage to company property, provision of accommodation or other amenities, loan repayments, overpaid wages or unearned benefits, and payments to registered co-operative societies.

If an employer makes an unauthorised deduction, MOM advises affected employees to file a claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM). 

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