suspension followed by termination

disappointed · Post by **disappointed** » Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:42 pm

my company operates a food plant with only a meat,poultry, pork license.every now n then when got AVA inspection we will hide or shift the seafood, process meat item e.g. sausages ,value added process item to our sister company next door. recently we were unluckly cos we didn't had enough time to shift everything and the AVA caught us with fish cutting in the red meat production area.
my Boss is very angry and has suspended me for 3 days becos I am the production chef here n also becos i didnt follow his instruction of cutting or processing the meat after 5pm whereby he say AVA wont come after such hours. Now my premonition tells me that he would terminate my contract after the suspension period.Bytheway i have actually handed my resignation a weeks before this incident happens.He nows inform the HR to hold my resignation letter and serves me a suspension. Is it valid ? I am a S pass holder. can he suspend or terminate me ? Now my worries is MOM will blacklist me . Pls advice. I do not wish to go to the Industrial court but just to seek for another job.i hearsay his charges is i sarbotage him. pls help. tq

nutnut · Post by **nutnut** » Sun, 22 Apr 2012 5:11 pm

If they dismiss you, they have to have a good tenable reason to do so. It is possible they can dismiss you during your notice period, although, the fact that your boss was asking you to do something that is against the AVA guidelines then it's not as if he has a very srtong case.

I would not suggest trying to blackmail your boss, just ask him to think about what he is doing as if you decided to take a case of unfair dismissal against him then this would certainly come out in the wash.

I wish you luck, there MS may well be able to advise better on this, he seems to be our legal beaver on the board. hopefully he'll be along soon to advise if he knows any more.

disappointed · Post by **disappointed** » Mon, 23 Apr 2012 1:50 pm

thanks alot - ur suggestion much appreciated. i will see what action they want to initiate b4 i take my case to the authority i.e. if they want to drown me otherwise i will just close this chapter as a nightmare. any more advice most wellcome.

beppi · Post by **beppi** » Mon, 23 Apr 2012 5:42 pm

It is human nature, when faced with an accusation, to deny responsibility and blame somebody else.
The boss will thus probably say the person in charge of organising the production acted against AVA rules without his knowledge.
That person is you.
This, if true, would of course be reason enough for a no-notice termination for gross misconduct.
Even if you have proof that you acted on your bosses' orders, you still took part in illegal actions and that might get you banned (by AVA or MoM) from employment here.
I wish you luck - you'll need it!

disappointed · Post by **disappointed** » Mon, 23 Apr 2012 8:11 pm

Sir, ur point does make sense but if i go against my Boss instruction i m also a dead duck so doesn't AVA or MOM give us some lea ways on this matters ? Sounds like i am screwed.
Pls any expert advice.tq

beppi · Post by **beppi** » Mon, 23 Apr 2012 8:43 pm

The authorities do not give leeway for participation in illegal activity - rightly so:
These rules are there to protect public health and hygiene, which is clearly more important than your job.
And you are not allowed to do anything illegal, no matter who (incl. your boss) told you so.

You might get some clemency in court if you confess in full truth and henceforth cooperate with the authorities' investigations. I would do that if I were you and hope that I would still get a new EP if I find a job in Singapore again.

But first you should get a good lawyer. They are not cheap but probably necessary in your case!

disappointed · Post by **disappointed** » Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:03 pm

Sir, guess no point getting a lawyer if i hv a very weak case.
anyway while pondering over this matter I guess my Boss am not so foolish to terminate me on this ground cos if i report this matter to the authority he will also be in deep trouble. I assume he gonna charge me with other reason perhaps. i dont know but i do know he is a very cunning person.

poodlek · Post by **poodlek** » Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:15 pm

Yuck yuck yuck barf. Did it not occur to anyone along the chain of command that they may be putting people's lives in danger from cross contamination? Thank god you were caught.

beppi · Post by **beppi** » Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:20 am

disappointed wrote:Sir, guess no point getting a lawyer if i hv a very weak case.

It might make the difference between being deported or having to spend some time in jail before being deported. Your choice!

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Tue, 24 Apr 2012 9:01 am

WHAT?!

Poultry and seafood together in the same premise without production segregation?! And pork on top of that?!

This is very serious and dangerous. God knows what kind of contamination your former company will churn out for thousands to ingest. I certainly hope for your conscience's sake that you bring your former company to court (and you still want to think for yourself?).

Mind telling me the name of that food plant? I will certainly scan the processed meat packages for that name in my grocery shopping for the rest of my life.

Thanks to you, I will join poodle in barf-fest.

disappointed · Post by **disappointed** » Tue, 24 Apr 2012 6:37 pm

Dear Bros n sis,

Thanks for your outspoken concern ; i get the point and i am very sorry but really i habour no ill will and i am the victim . i suppose there r still many like my boss out there .....and i do agree better deported now than be jailed then deported. sorry once again - guess i learnt a good lesson here. thanks and wish u all well.

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suspension followed by termination

suspension followed by termination

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