Advice needed on severance payout for retrenchment

[nikeplus]

Hi All,

I need some advice. My job has been made redundant and i have signed the separation agreement with the co such that the co will pay me $x amount. My last day is 30 Nov.

Unfortunately, i fell very sick late Oct. I even went to A&E. I took about 1.5 weeks medical leave and went back to work the next week even though i was still in great pain. During that week, i always ended up crying on my journey home from work as i was in great pain and distress. I've never felt so sorry for myself. I almost fainted while getting lunch nearby the office and that's when i realised my body cannot handle it anymore. I broke down in front of my boss that day, requesting early release on medical grounds. The pain is also starting to affect my mental health. Unfortunately, he no longer has much say in the co.

Everything started going downhill when i started vomiting that weekend. I went to A&E the 2nd time, even requesting for admission to the hospital but was sent home with another week of medical leave. I took another week off work using my leave as i have used up my 14 days MC.

My appt with the specialist is scheduled late Dec but my condition doesnt permit me to wait unless i go private but i cannot afford private. So everyday, i walked into the hospital specialist clinic asking if they could squeeze me in that day. I managed to get a slot after a few days of "begging". The doc sent me home with 1 month hospitalisation leave (HL) ending 30 Nov. Even after a month, the pain is always there and i get by each day with painkillers. There're good days and bad days, depending on the severity of pain. Currently, i also have to go for physiotherapy at the hospital once a week and private physio to supplement it since i'm being attended to by poly attachment students at the hospital. I have since lost 2kgs and for a petite person like me, 2kgs is a big deal.

I've notified my co HR and i understand her suspicions because admittedly, it's bad timing that the end of HL coincides with my last day of work and that the HL covers the whole Nov. I've called up MOM and was told that since i'm not covered by the employment act, they cant advise me. I was told if there're any dispute, i have to seek paid legal help.

My questions are -
1. Am i entitled to Nov salary?
2. My unused but accrued leave up to Nov?
3. Severance payout?

My employment contract states that i'm entitled to 60 days hospitalisation leave. So i guess i am entitled to Nov salary as HL covers me for that period. Is that correct?

I am also entitled to unused but accrued leave up to Nov because i'm technically still in employment till end Nov. Is that correct?

However, i'm not sure about my severance as HR said i need to show up at work to be entitled to it but i'm on HL. HR even questioned why am i granted HL when i dont need to be warded when she's aware HL doesnt necessarily needs to be warded. I refused to reply that question because i feel she's doubting the authenticity of my condition and doubting the doc's professionalism.

 

[cococherry]

2. some companies pay cash for unused leave but it dpend on your company's policy & subject to your hiring boss's approval.

Are you given hospitalization leave by the hospital?

 

[nikeplus]

It's stated in my separation agreement that they will pay me my unused leave till Nov.

Yes, the hospitalization leave is issued by the govt hospital.

 

[cococherry]

nike,
they should be paying you your Nov salary + encash your unused leave according to the written agreement.

 

[knottymomo]

some companies do not recognise hospitalization leave if you are not warded.

Company will deduct from your annual leave if you have used up medical leave for the yr.

 

[powder]

for such matters, facts should count, opinion and feelings Don't.

so u just need to determine if 1) if the 60 days 'hospitalisation leave' has been explicitly stated to require u to be bedded or housed within the hospital confines, or would the hospital's definition of HL suffice, provided they consider it 'HL' as long as u need to be confined, doesn't matter if it's home. 2) if it is considered as HL and u have your 60days entitlement spelt out, then u have nothing to worry about.

the approach is simple... dun feel bad abt what's happening to u becos u should be more worried abt nursing your health back, not what others think of u.

why should u be bothered abt what HR thinks? for this matter, they are there to facilitate, not have an opinion over employees or play judge. so u should act accordingly... u dun have to please them in this case. there are guidelines set, so adhere to them and know your rights If u know u're ok.

perhaps a simple consult with a legal entity might help allay your fears.

til then, get ample rest and nurse yourself back to good health. If u eventually get screwed over a month's pay, u can fight back for it when u're up and running. dun let it affect u for now.

take care.

 

[tomasulu]

Everyone should have the max hospitalization insurance cover for himself and his family. Its extremely affordable as you can use your mediwhatever cpf nonsense for a portion of the premium.

 

[nikeplus]

I wonder if it's too late for me to buy hospitalization insurance since I already have pre existing condition and probably be excluded for this condition. If I don't declare, will the insurance company find out when I make a claim for this particular condition? Currently, the doc never suggest surgery but it will be my choice if the pain persists.

Are my medical records as an outpatient at the hospital available to the insurance co?

 

[powder]

dun suggest u try that. it's in the nature of the biz to find ways to reject your claims, so i can tell u from my experience that they will be able to dig and refute your claims... u can try tho... they will prob refund u the premiums in any case.

but each case has it's merit, so i dun think my experience should be a determining factor to your decision. u just have to weigh out waht is best for u and do what u need.

end of the day, u should take address with your company First... rather than skim around the peripherals and find solutions in Other ways... u need to stand up for yourself and do what's fair to yourself.

 

[clark]

wah lau, u are back ????

 

[powder]

yo midget,

it's pretty bad taste to be going around doing nothing but screwing pple in your free time.

it's worst if u go around preventing pple from helping to make the world a better place.

u have a decision to make today.

this decision will decide where u go after u die.

 

[nikeplus]

Powder, I got a favorable reply from my HR. Everything's all good now.

There's a 90 days subject to approval clause of the hospitalisation policy. If they find out, they would reject my application then and not when I make the claim, right? At most, they reject when I make the claim for this particular condition but will still cover me for the rest. Not that I wish to make any claim.

 

[powder]

HR should give u a favourable reply cos it should have been within your rights, i think it was mainly the typical HR imposing their own views.

for taking up a new insurance to cover... i think it's looking towards the future, not the current. IF u make a claim for the current, they have the right to cancel your cover and refund u. meaning that the future coverage will also not be in place (since they likely refund u fully the premiums less admin charges). this is what i know.

i am not an insurance agent nor in the industry... just a customer like u.

 

[clark]

Are u God ?

 

[mrslim80]

Hi Mike,
The 60 days hospitalisation is before deducting any medical leave you have taken. Since you already used up your 14 days MC, you should have only 46 days hospitalisation leave left.

By right, they should pay your salary up to November deducting any no pay leave you have taken.

 

[nikeplus]

powder, while i do understand where HR was coming from, her tone upsets me. I'm glad it has been settled. Mind sharing your experience in claiming insurance? They reject due to..?

Mine is a classic case of whatever can go wrong have gone wrong - love, career and health.

 

[powder]

yeah it's tough sometimes, but then nobody really owes us much courtesy so just have to take it that not everyone are nice. dun let it stop u from getting what u know u are entitled to, or deserve. rem this for now and future endeavours - u will find that u get more things solved faster and u'll be generally happier.

mine is those insurances i take up over the phone from banks... paid it for like over 2yrs, then i went for some corrective surgery due to a past injury, and i let the nurses handle my insurance... this particular company was quick to pick up and link to my past, and refunded my my premiums and washed their hands off. Of cos i wasn't there to cheat them, but i dun expect hospitalisation to have such exclusions... anyway just smile and move on.

"Mine is a classic case of whatever can go wrong have gone wrong - love, career and health."
- i know exactly how u feel on this... the Only way to tackle this is to Love Yourself, Respect Yourself, and Embrace Life as having its Ups and Downs... the whole world dun all smile together... when u were smiling, some frens would be crying in a corner... when u are crying in a corner, some frens would be haing the best time of their life... That's Life.

take it in your stride... the rainbows are out there... some days it'll come for us. today they aren't appearing for u...