SINGAPORE: A TikTok user has taken aim at local food chain Qi Ji, calling out what he described as an “insulting” token of appreciation given to a long-serving cleaner — a 40-cent hourly pay raise and one additional day of leave after nearly two decades of service.
The user, who goes by the handle @loserirnh, shared images of two letters allegedly issued by Qi Ji to the cleaner, who had spent close to 20 years with the company across two full-time stints and a more recent part-time role.
According to the letters, the employee received a salary adjustment of S$0.40 per hour and one extra day of annual leave in recognition of long service.
One letter, dated 25 March 2025, stated that the cleaner’s hourly wage would increase from S$10.15 to S$10.55.
The company described the raise as “a reflection of your dedication, attitude and quality of work,” praising the employee’s contribution and encouraging continued performance with “greater zeal and enthusiasm.”
But the TikTok user was unimpressed. In one image, he wrote, “20 years of sweat and they toss 40 cents like spare change. If you’re still loyal to the system, you’re a damn fool.”
A second letter dated 31 March 2025 awarded the cleaner an additional day of annual leave “in celebration of your long service.”
The TikTok user overlaid the image with, “Almost 20 years of life gone just to be handed 40 cents and 1 extra day off. That’s not a reward, that’s an insult.”
Although the letters were not addressed to him, the user said he uploaded them to raise awareness about how loyal, lower-wage workers — especially cleaners — are often overlooked and underappreciated.
He criticised viewers for turning a blind eye and framed the situation as a wake-up call to stop believing in corporate loyalty.
Arguing that the system was never built to reward hard work, he said it was designed to keep workers stuck — earning just enough to survive, but never enough to get ahead.
What upset him most was the company’s decision to announce the raise in formal letters, treating it as something to celebrate.
“A $0.40 raise with a formal letter isn’t appreciation — it’s an insult wrapped in paperwork.”
He ended the post with a stark warning, “No one is coming to save you. The only way out is to escape the system, build your own, and stop being a pawn in their game.”
The video has since gone viral, racking up over 173,000 views and sparking widespread discussion.
Company Says Wage Raise Aligned with Progressive Wage Model
In response to the backlash, Qi Ji said the post “unfairly and incorrectly insinuated that our company does not value our employees and treats them unfairly.”
In an Instagram statement dated 8 April, the food and beverage chain provided additional context on the cleaner’s employment history and wage progression.
According to the company, the employee worked full-time from April 2009 to July 2014, and rejoined in October 2014.
In March 2023, the employee requested to switch to part-time status, which prompted a salary review based on internal guidelines.
Qi Ji stated that the employee had received annual wage adjustments, including a 5.72% increase in March 2024, followed by a 3.94% increase in March 2025.
The company said these adjustments were made in line with the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) advocated by the National Trades Union Congress.
“We believe that the employee in this situation has been treated fairly and suitably, and we take any statements that allege otherwise with utmost seriousness,” the company said.
Under the PWM, full-time cleaners in the F&B sector must be paid a minimum monthly salary of S$1,740 to S$2,455, depending on job scope and seniority. Part-time wages are pro-rated accordingly.
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Public Split on Whether Pay Bump Was Fair or Disrespectful
The incident has sparked a wave of mixed reactions across TikTok and the Mothership Facebook page, with netizens divided over whether the raise was fair or deeply inadequate.
Some commenters defended Qi Ji, saying that the raise should be viewed in percentage terms, rather than the absolute dollar amount.
One user pointed out that the increase represented a 4% salary adjustment, adding that there are many who “don’t get a 4% pay rise.”
Another echoed this, noting, “We look at percentage increment. 40c of $10 is 4% increment which is the typical yearly increment.”
One user offered a more detailed breakdown, estimating that for someone working 8.5 hours a day over 22 days a month, with a base salary of S$1,500, the raise would amount to roughly a 5% increment.
They argued that this was a good deal in the current economic climate and pointed out that it would be on top of any annual increment, if applicable.
However, many others felt the gesture was underwhelming — especially considering the employee’s nearly two decades of service.
One user said that regardless of how the company framed it, the pay remained “pathetic” for someone who had been loyal for so long.
Another suggested that while the raise might seem fine for a new or short-term worker, giving such a small adjustment after 20 years felt disrespectful.
One user slammed the long service reward entirely, questioning why someone who had served the company for two decades was only given one additional day of leave.
They argued that even a small token like a S$1,000 bonus would have been more meaningful than “an effing one-day increase.”
Another user captured the emotional letdown, saying it felt like receiving “a box of Swiss chocolates” after giving up a quarter of one’s life — a token gesture that failed to reflect the cleaner’s actual value to the company.
Calls to Rethink Loyalty as Workers Urged to Job-Hop
Beyond the specifics of the pay adjustment, some netizens took the opportunity to express broader cynicism about corporate loyalty.
One user called the cleaner’s situation “sad and foolish,” likening it to a relationship where everything you’ve done is forgotten once your partner loses interest.
Another wrote bluntly that “loyalty means nothing” without real rewards, and urged workers to chase better pay instead of staying in one place out of habit.
Others encouraged employees to job-hop more frequently, arguing that companies are primarily concerned with keeping operations running — not with recognising individual dedication.
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