Slapping video victim's family demanding $100k compensation

Slapping video victim's family demanding $100k compensation
PHOTO: Slapping video victim's family demanding $100k compensation

SINGAPORE - The family of a 29-year-old intern, who was filmed being repeatedly slapped by his boss at a software company, is demanding for $100,000 in compensation for lost wages over the years.

[[nid:358019]]

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the intern joined the firm at Jurong East three years ago as an undergraduate. He was paid $500 a month and not given any benefits or leave days.

When he graduated from university, the intern continued to work for the company under the same pay, still without a contract or any benefits.

His family said that he often returned home late and also turned up at work even when he was ill.

According to the intern, his supervisor, identified only as Alan, had physically and verbally abused him from time to time. However, he said that the worst incident was the one secretly recorded and shared online.

When asked, the intern told a Wanbao reporter that he did not leave the job as he liked it very much and learned many new things while at it. He also said that he felt like he could not leave because there were always projects that he had to finish.

Despite that, the intern had tried to resign once in 2012 but was told not to leave as the office was shorthanded.

When he asked for a pay raise, he was told by his supervisor that his performance was not up to scratch and that he did not have enough experience.

The intern and his family went to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) offices today to file an official complaint against Alan.

They told the Chinese daily that they had asked for a $100,000 compensation to make up for wages lost over the years.

When asked what he was most grateful to Alan for,  the intern said that Alan had allowed him to take paid-leave when his grandmother passed away.

He said he initially denied being the victim in the video because he did not want the incident to affect Alan's family.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

Two more interns speak out

SINGAPORE - The same supervisor has also been accused of abusing two other female interns, Shin Min Daily News reported.

One of them, a 23-year-old known as Ms. Liang, told the Chinese evening paper that she was sometimes locked up in a room for more than an hour and harshly scolded by Alan. He would note down all her mistakes and use harsh and demeaning words, she said.

Ms. Liang said that she received at least five such scoldings during the two months that she was with the company and even broke down and cried on two or three of the occasions.

Describing Alan as ill-tempered, she told Shin Min that he would flare up at every mistake made by his employees.

Ms. Liang said she worked at the company as part of a university internship arrangement. She received a monthly allowance of $500. In her first days there, she noticed a suppressive environment as the employees did not seem to talk much.

Describing her supervisor, she said he appeared like a gentleman but very ill-tempered in reality.

She said she chose to resign after two months as she was not able to put up with the stressful conditions.

The former intern also told the Chinese daily that she regrets not filing a police report against Alan at the time. She has since done so after watching the video of him slapping another intern.

Another 20-year-old student, however, persevered and completed her internship at the company as she did not want her graduation to be affected.

She said in a television interview that she went through nine weeks of unreasonable and aggressive treatment from Alan.

When she was working for him, she was often scolded for not completing work she was not assigned to do in the first place.

He also often threatened to fire her, causing her to be fearful of going to work every day.

huizhen@sph.com.sg
ljessica@sph.com.sg

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.