Going the extra mile to help employee maintain an amicable relationship with his employer

Background

After suffering from a stroke, Mr Lim experienced some difficulty with speech and memory. As such, the 66-year-old was unsure if he were owed any salary after his boss informed him that the company would cease operation in August 2019. Apart from his occupation as a lorry driver and his monthly salary, Mr Lim had no recollection of his company’s name or his employer’s contact number.

How TADM helped

With assistance from TADM, Mr Lim was able to find out his employer’s company name from his CPF statement.

During his second appointment in September 2019, TADM contacted the employer and discovered that Mr Lim’s service was terminated in July 2019. The employer was also able to show proof that he had fulfilled his employment obligations by paying up all dues to Mr Lim.

In addition, Mr Lim was offered a loan by the employer, which helped to tide him through his financial difficulties. He was also overpaid $500 in salaries.

However, Mr Lim could not recall all these details due to his medical condition. TADM requested the employer to give Mr Lim another call to conclude the employment relationship amicably. The employer agreed to contact Mr Lim’s daughter after expressing concerns with Mr Lim’s ability to comprehend the conversations.

TADM followed up with Mr Lim two days later and found out that his employer did not contact him or his daughter. He requested for another appointment to clarify matters.

During the advisory session in October 2019, TADM officer patiently explained to Mr Lim that the employer did not owe him any outstanding salary and had overpaid him for the couple of days worked. TADM also updated the daughter so that she could help explain the case to her father.

Mr Lim acknowledged that he could not remember the exact days he had worked and decided not to pursue further. However, he was concerned that the company would accuse him of stealing the company’s vehicle as he was still holding on to the key.

TADM spoke to the employer on Mr Lim’s behalf to convey Mr Lim’s concern to the employer, who requested that Mr Lim drop the key into the company’s letter box. The employer subsequently informed TADM that he had received the key and the matter was resolved amicably.

Given the employee’s limited ability to recall and comprehend issues, TADM went the extra mile to make sure that the relationship between employee and employer was preserved, with numerous conversations to bridge the gap between Mr Lim and the employer.

As Mr Lim had difficulty understanding the situation, TADM also kept his daughter apprised of the case so that she can help explain the situation to Mr Lim to help him move on. TADM also helped Mr Lim to reach out to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), so that his social application is expedited.