SINGAPORE: In a workplace saga that’s part of a KPI nightmare, one Singaporean employee took to Reddit’s r/Singapore_LegalAdvice to ask a burning question: “Is it possible to report to MOM if my boss lied to me about my work performance to terminate my contract with the company?”
According to his post, his company slapped him with a performance improvement plan (PIP) cloaked under the guise of a “review program,” requiring him to achieve a 100% score across three weighted categories: Company basic policy (50%), role and task-specific metrics (40%), and attendance and self-care (10%).
So it’s not even 99% and no “just try your best,” thingy and all that jazz. It must be a full one-hundred-per cent!
The worker, suspecting foul play, vowed to gather voice recordings and take detailed notes daily throughout the process, and asked if this evidence could be used to raise a case with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or even the courts: “What are the possible rebuttals, since this might cross the confidential information boundaries of the workspace?” he wrote.
Reddit commenters wasted no time jumping in with hard truths, soft cautions, and a few morale-boosting comments:
“If your boss has put you on PIP, it’s time to move on already,” one wrote, calling it an “open secret” that such programs often signal a slow but certain exit plan.
Another added, “Let’s just say you are 100% right and your boss is 100% wrong… Still, do you really want to go the legal route?” before questioning what the worker stood to gain—unless he was pulling in a cool S$50,000 a month or more, in which case, it may be something that can be re-considered or “worth it to go through.”
But it wasn’t all about surrender. One commenter rebutted back at the “just move on” crowd: “If everyone acts like this, nothing is ever going to change in such toxic workplace cases… Nothing’s gonna change if nobody speaks up.”
Others offered realistic pathways: Raise the issue to TADM (Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management), or if unionised, consider the Workplace Fairness Act via TAFEP, and if the contract is unfairly terminated, file a wrongful dismissal claim.
Still, most agreed that unless there’s rock-solid proof and significant financial loss or reputation damage, the odds of a satisfying win in court are slim.
“Singapore doesn’t really care about employees,” said one commenter sharply. “You can provide evidence, but that will be out of your own pocket and time.”
At its core, the post captured a dilemma that many Singaporean workers face: When do you fight, and when do you flee? And more importantly, how do you protect your dignity without burning every bridge in a city where industries feel smaller than a hawker centre at lunchtime?
In the end, whether it’s a voice recorder, black and white proof or a resignation letter, the choice lies in balancing self-worth against the cost of battle.
