By Eunice Toh

She claimed she was dismissed unfairly after 15 years of service with the YMCA.

The YMCA said due process was followed and it is standing by its decision.

The welfare organisation's former lifestyle programmes manager Jacqueline Tan, 39, claimed she was called into a meeting on April 27, and was informed by the general secretary, Mr Albert Ching, that she had the choice to resign or be dismissed with one month's notice.

Ms Tan's responsibilities covered indoor programmes such as dance and fitness classes, and outdoor adventure activities.

When she asked why, she said she was told that her termination was due to "financial performance" and "vendor mismanagement".

Ms Tan then asked if she could be given the weekend to think about her decision, and her request was accepted.

She decided that she loved her job too much to resign from it.

Termination letter

On April 30, she was issued a termination letter.

After clearing her annual leave, her last day at YMCA was on May 3.

She said: "I had no idea what was going on. The news just came out of the blue."

The only inkling she had that her job was on the line came on March 1.

She was issued a warning letter, which she claimed was full of generalisations such as "immediate improvement in (her) work performance".

Ms Tan disputed the reasons given for her termination and claimed that her section was on the upspring and steadily improving.

She also felt that the reasons given were unjust and she should have been given a "decent chance to improve".

Ms Tan joined the YMCA as a fresh graduate at 24.

She had spent four years studying law, only to find out it was something she wasn't interested in. She said: "I wanted to be passionate about my job and YMCA was something I could put my heart and soul into.

"The cause was something I believed in, and something I could be proud of."

She served as a full-time staff member in various departments and was promoted to lifestyle programmes manager seven years ago.

Though there were challenging times during her 15 years of service, Ms Tan never thought of leaving.

She said: "There was a lot of conflict during my first six years. It was very volatile.

"But I stayed and focused on my work. I didn't worry about the continual upheaval going on around me."

Some YMCA members were surprised at her termination.

Said member Amberly Chew, 34: "She was the only reason I joined YMCA. She had such a zest for this job and she would fight for things that are right."

Added another member, Mr Chua Kok Chiow, 37: "When I worked with her, she always had the interest of YMCA at heart."

When contacted, Mr Ching said the termination was a matter which was between Ms Tan and the organisation.

Said Mr Ching: "We are sorry to have had to let her go. Due process has been followed and we stand by our decision."

This article was first published in The New Paper.