Nurse says ex-manager didn’t return S$1.5k in approved transport claims, seeks advice on Reddit

SINGAPORE: A nurse who recently left her job at a home care company took to social media to share her frustration after her former manager allegedly failed to reimburse her S$1,500 in approved transport claims.

In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, the nurse, who has eight years of experience, explained that she had been verbally assured from the start that Grab fares for house visits would be fully reimbursed.

“At the end of the month, I received my payslip, and the reimbursement amount (S$1.5k) is written clearly on the payslip, but in my bank account, I have only received my basic salary,” she wrote. “There was no reimbursement nor any explanation.”

She then reached out to the HR and finance team, who told her they would check and get back to her. However, several days went by with no response.

When she approached her manager, the manager claimed she had never seen the transport claim form and referred her back to HR.

“I kept the record of the transport claim form, with the admin’s name as the one doing the claims and the manager’s name as the approver.”

Feeling uneasy about the company’s practices, the nurse eventually resigned. Unfortunately, four days after her last working day, the reimbursement still hasn’t been paid out.

Seeking advice from the local community, she asked, “Can I raise this issue to MOM/TADM? Would they consider this a case?” adding that she’s unsure whether to inform her manager before taking action.

“I’m feeling so alone in this, and I appreciate any advice,” she wrote.

“THREATEN to report to MOM.”

In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor advised her to give the company one final follow-up before escalating the issue to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

“Follow up once more; attach the manager’s or company’s messages or written policies stating that transport claims are claimable,” they said. “Also, attach your payslip. THREATEN to report to MOM, and that should be enough to sort this all out.”

Another shared, “I kena this before. The company still didn’t pay three months’ worth of reimbursement even months after I left. The HR replied with one-word responses, and I was very patient, waiting three to four weeks before asking for an update. In the end, I threatened to report to TADM and MOM, and only then did they quickly pay me.”

A third, however, felt that a warning was not necessary at all. “No need to inform,” they wrote, adding, “Just go straight to MOM.”

Where to seek help

Employees who are not reimbursed for work-related expenses outlined in their employment contracts are entitled to seek legal recourse. According to Singapore Legal Advice, they can file a salary-related claim with the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) to recover the unpaid amounts.

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