Singapore
Apr 5, 2010
4 jailed for false claims
<!-- by line --> By Lin Yingxin
FOUR workers who tried to make fraudulent claims ended up in jail in the past six months. They were jailed between three and eight weeks for filing false claims under the Work Injury Compensation Act, said the Ministry of Manpower on Monday. One worker, an Indian national, claimed his co-worker cut his left thumb while doing gardening work at a condominium, when the injury was self-inflicted. The worker was jailed for eight weeks on Oct 1, 2009. Another worker, a Bangladeshi national, claimed he was hit by a car while crossing the road to get to his dormitory, when he was not working that day. He was packed off to jail for four weeks.
The third worker, also a Bangladeshi, claimed he suffered a hip injury when he tripped over metal wires on the ground while working. MOM investigations revealed that he had hurt himself from a fall before coming to work. He was jailed for five years. The fourth worker, from China, lied that he broke his left wrist while working when the injury was sustained during a basketball game. He got three weeks' jail. Said Mr Clarence Tang, MOM's Director of Work Injury Compensation Department: 'They have wasted the time and resources of MOM, which could have been deployed to help workers in genuine need.' Mr Koh Juan Kiat, Executive Director of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) said: 'Some employers worry that since the WICA is a no-fault system, it works primarily to the benefit of workers.
MOM's prosecution of the four workers for fraudulent WIC claims should be assurance for employers that workers who misuse the WIC system will be taken to task by MOM.' Those who make fraudulent claims can be fined up to $15,000 or jailed up to 12 months, or both. Employers are also required under the Act to report work accidents to MOM within 10 days of the accident, if it results in the death of an employee or renders the worker unfit for work for more than three consecutive days or results in him being hospitalised for 24 hours. Errant bosses can be fined up to $5,000 on first conviction, while repeat offenders face a fine of up to $10,000 and jail of up to six months.
Apr 5, 2010
4 jailed for false claims
<!-- by line --> By Lin Yingxin
FOUR workers who tried to make fraudulent claims ended up in jail in the past six months. They were jailed between three and eight weeks for filing false claims under the Work Injury Compensation Act, said the Ministry of Manpower on Monday. One worker, an Indian national, claimed his co-worker cut his left thumb while doing gardening work at a condominium, when the injury was self-inflicted. The worker was jailed for eight weeks on Oct 1, 2009. Another worker, a Bangladeshi national, claimed he was hit by a car while crossing the road to get to his dormitory, when he was not working that day. He was packed off to jail for four weeks.
The third worker, also a Bangladeshi, claimed he suffered a hip injury when he tripped over metal wires on the ground while working. MOM investigations revealed that he had hurt himself from a fall before coming to work. He was jailed for five years. The fourth worker, from China, lied that he broke his left wrist while working when the injury was sustained during a basketball game. He got three weeks' jail. Said Mr Clarence Tang, MOM's Director of Work Injury Compensation Department: 'They have wasted the time and resources of MOM, which could have been deployed to help workers in genuine need.' Mr Koh Juan Kiat, Executive Director of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) said: 'Some employers worry that since the WICA is a no-fault system, it works primarily to the benefit of workers.
MOM's prosecution of the four workers for fraudulent WIC claims should be assurance for employers that workers who misuse the WIC system will be taken to task by MOM.' Those who make fraudulent claims can be fined up to $15,000 or jailed up to 12 months, or both. Employers are also required under the Act to report work accidents to MOM within 10 days of the accident, if it results in the death of an employee or renders the worker unfit for work for more than three consecutive days or results in him being hospitalised for 24 hours. Errant bosses can be fined up to $5,000 on first conviction, while repeat offenders face a fine of up to $10,000 and jail of up to six months.
