CEO accused of bullying ex-employee into suicide denies all allegations, MOM investigates firm

Recently, Alvinology reported on the viral Facebook post of a group of ex-employees of a certain Singaporean business that accused the CEO of numerous illegal practices such as Circuit Breaker violations and pushing a young, female foreign worker to suicide. She was a Malaysian who lived in Penang.

Ministry of Manpower investigates

According to a report from TODAY, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that, “We have reached out to (the worker’s mother), and are looking into the allegations raised about the workplace.”

The deceased worker’s parents had contacted the MOM on October 29 this year, almost a year after their daughter had allegedly killed herself on December 13, 2019.

The Singaporean government agency also mentioned that the employee herself had not filed a complaint with them during the time she was allegedly experiencing the abuse.

Singaporean firm’s CEO responds to viral post

The same report also mentioned that the CEO of the firm had seen the viral post and had responded to inquiries by the MOM. He spoke to TODAY and denied all the allegations against him. In the report, he said that the negative issues plaguing his company all come from his competitor, and that he is strict but fair.

“The Facebook group containing numerous baseless and malicious allegations have been set up by disgruntled ex-employees, and I believe that the posts contained in the group are intentionally designed to hurt me, my family and, most importantly, my business.

“I have since contacted her family out of goodwill to express my shock at this group of disgruntled ex-employees who have chosen to publicise her suicide at her family’s expense for the purposes of maliciously hurting my business.

I also apologised because their daughter’s suicide would not have been publicised if not for my business competitors wanting to maliciously and wrongfully accuse my company of contributing to her suicide.

“While I am a strict and demanding employer, I am also a fair one, and I believe many of my present employees will attest to the positive work culture at my company.”

from TODAY

The same report also said that the CEO terminated the worker because her work quality was poor, and that she struggled at her job. He said that she had been going through personal problems during her employment period, and that it was her first job in Singapore.

The CEO also said that she was asked to pay the company for the tax involving hiring foreign workers because she broke the employment contract.

What was in the viral Facebook post?

According to a previous report by Alvinology, former employees of the Singaporean company accused the CEO of manipulating and bullying a former co-worker, which lead to her taking her own life.

She had initially filed a leave for six days to return to Penang for a wedding, but the dates were changed and reduced to four days on the day she was supposed to leave. She was also allegedly reminded that her performance at work was bad and it may be better for her not to take her leaves instead.

When she was allegedly manipulated into rescinding the leaves she asked for months in advance, she was notified that she was let go the next day, and that she needed to pay $1000 for taxes. This was what allegedly pushed her to suicide.

Aside from the accusations regarding their deceased co-worker, the employees also accused the company of violating Circuit Breaker guidelines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic months ago.

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