Asking for advice re employment contract problem

[Unhappy Employee]

Hello! Can anyone give me any advice regarding an employment contract issue I might be facing.

Here's the scenario... I am working here in Sg for 6 months now (holding an Employment Pass). I want to leave my company and go back to my home country as I am no longer happy with my work. Now here's the problem... under my contract, I am required to pay a month's salary as penalty for breach of contract (in this case premature termination of contract). I know I shouldn't have signed the contract if I did not agree with this stipulation. However, I was left with NO choice but to sign the said contract as this "official contract" was only shown to me when I arrived here in Sg (and I came from a country that is 3+ hrs away by plane)! Prior to this, my agent sent an offer letter with the renumeration package listed (and this is the only document I have before deciding to resign from my previous job and come here). I was only made aware of the penalty on the day I met with my agent here in Sg. I honestly think I would have thought twice about accepting the offer if it was made known to me that such penalty exists. I have already requested my agent to have the penalty amount reduced (maybe half of it since i have rendered half year service) but they are not too keen on letting me off without payment of full penalty amount (as they said it was actually the client company's terms and they can't do anything about it). Would anybody know where I can take my case? Or just any advice on how to go about this problem...

Thanks!

[jpatokal]

Your options are...

1) Collect your last monthly salary, burn your bridges, leave the country and don't come back. If you don't announce to your company or the Singapore govn't where you're going, they're unlikely to bother tracking you down.

2) Talk to a lawyer, as your contract may not be legal. (In general tho, in Singapore employees have no rights not explicitly listed in the contract.)

[jp_fan]

Jpatokal! You're back finally!

Where have you been??

[Unhappy Employee]

Thanks for the advice jpatokal. I think I should explore option 2 first before resorting to option 1...

So, where can I find a lawyer here in Sg? and how much do they usually charge? Tnx.

[joop]

Thanks for the advice jpatokal. I think I should explore option 2 first before resorting to option 1...

So, where can I find a lawyer here in Sg? and how much do they usually charge? Tnx.

You can contact us at +65 61000 300 or email: [email protected], we can provide you with some references.

[onemore]

You may look at one more option.

Instead of they making your life miserable, you make their life miserable. That will ground you on firmer footing.

Think twice before resorting to any extreme.

[MovingfromSydneySingapore]

Whats the name of your agency, so that other people dont get stuck.