The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating a software company in Singapore after workers complained about underpaid salaries.
The Straits Times was informed by former Napier Healthcare Solutions workers that they have not received a whole month’s pay since November 2023.
MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) jointly responded to the media, stating that they are supporting 12 workers from the Singapore-based company with their claims for unpaid salaries.
MOM and TADM stated that the company is being looked into for potential Employment Act violations and that they will keep providing assistance to the impacted workers.
In 2008, Napier Healthcare Solutions was established. The majority of its staff members are headquartered in Hyderabad, India, which is home to the company’s Global Development Center, according to its LinkedIn page.
According to its website, it provides healthcare facilities including hospitals and assisted living facilities with technological items like artificial intelligence tools and information systems that show patient data.
On January 24, a representative for Napier Healthcare Solutions informed the portal that the organization had no salary-related conflicts with current or past workers.
However, he said that a “cash flow challenge the organization has been facing” is the reason why salary payments have been postponed.
On January 24, the spokesperson had said, “We are expecting to clear all outstanding salary dues to ex-employees and existing employees by next week.”
The spokesman also mentioned that the small and medium-sized business has 9 people in Singapore.
The representative stated on February 4 that the business would pay the debt within the next several days. Although the dues had not yet been paid, the spokeswoman stated on February 17 that “the funds are expected.”
On condition of anonymity, three former firm workers spoke to The Straits Times. All three stated that the corporation owes them their salary. One of them, who started working for the company in October 2023 and quit in July 2024, claimed that only his first month’s wage was paid on schedule.
He claimed that when he questioned the company about the late payments, “they just kept saying they would pay the next week.” He claimed that on occasion, they would give him lump sum payments of between $2,500 and $15,000 whenever he pressed them.
He also added that he was owed roughly $90,000 when he quit the organization on July 1, 2024, after landing another work.
He engaged attorneys in order to recover his unpaid income, and they sent Napier Healthcare Solutions a letter on September 19, 2024, which ST was able to view, requesting roughly $90,000 for salary arrears and costs.
The complete payment will be sent by October 15, 2024, which is 14 working days after the letter was delivered to the company via registered mail, according to a response from Napier dated September 25, 2024, which ST was also able to view.
As of February 19, the former employee informed ST that he had not received the dues.
He told The Straits Times, “This is really bad as it has almost been a year, and I’m now worried about the upcoming income tax (filing season).”
Another former worker said that he was last paid his entire wage in October 2023, but he would not reveal the amount he was due. In February 2024, he received a payment, but he pointed out that it was insufficient to meet the salary he was due for the previous months.
He claimed that because he believed the corporation was not being open about when it would pay the compensation, he decided to leave. “They kept saying they would raise the money and honour the commitment, ‘We would pay next week, or next Tuesday, or Friday or end of the month.’ And this promise would always be broken,” added.
