Twelve Cupcakes accused of underpaying 8 foreign employees over 2 years
By LOUISA TANG
Twelve Cupcakes
Twelve Cupcakes faces 29 counts of contravening rules under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act pertaining to employers of S Pass holders.
Published23 OCTOBER, 2020
UPDATED 23 OCTOBER, 2020
SINGAPORE — Homegrown bakery chain Twelve Cupcakes has been charged with paying eight of its foreign employees less than their stipulated monthly salaries from 2017 to 2019.
The firm faces 29 counts of contravening rules under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act pertaining to employers of S Pass holders.
It was first charged on Oct 1 and returned to court on Thursday (Oct 22) for a further mention of the case.
Court documents revealed the alleged underpayment concerned salaries for the months between December 2016 and January 2019.
One employee, identified as Ma Catleene Villacorta Dela Cruz, purportedly received a lower monthly salary during the entire 26-month period than the fixed sum of S$2,600 she was supposed to have received.
Another four employees allegedly received less than their fixed monthly wages of between S$2,200 and S$2,600 for 24 months. They were identified as:
Read also: Twelve Cupcakes owner dismisses allegations of staff exploitation
Ding Yujie
Guadiz Kareen Grace Capitle
Kenn Harold Galo Villareal
Read also: Twelve Cupcakes sold to Indian tea company for S$2.5 million
Zhu Weihong
Court documents did not specify how much Twelve Cupcakes paid them, what their roles in the firm were or whether they are still employed there.
If convicted, the company could be fined up to S$10,000 or S$20,000 for each charge.
This is not the first time Twelve Cupcakes has been accused of similar offences.
In 2013, its then-owner and radio DJ Daniel Ong rejected allegations published on now-defunct socio-political website The Real Singapore that the firm exploited foreign workers by making them work longer hours than local employees, for low pay and with no overtime remuneration.
Mr Ong founded Twelve Cupcakes in 2011 with his ex-wife, Ms Jaime Teo. He and the actress divorced in 2016.
The chain was then sold to Indian tea company Dhunseri Group for S$2.5 million in January 2017.
Today, Twelve Cupcakes has 43 stores across Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...-underpaying-8-foreign-employees-over-2-years
By LOUISA TANG
Twelve Cupcakes
Twelve Cupcakes faces 29 counts of contravening rules under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act pertaining to employers of S Pass holders.
Published23 OCTOBER, 2020
UPDATED 23 OCTOBER, 2020
SINGAPORE — Homegrown bakery chain Twelve Cupcakes has been charged with paying eight of its foreign employees less than their stipulated monthly salaries from 2017 to 2019.
The firm faces 29 counts of contravening rules under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act pertaining to employers of S Pass holders.
It was first charged on Oct 1 and returned to court on Thursday (Oct 22) for a further mention of the case.
Court documents revealed the alleged underpayment concerned salaries for the months between December 2016 and January 2019.
One employee, identified as Ma Catleene Villacorta Dela Cruz, purportedly received a lower monthly salary during the entire 26-month period than the fixed sum of S$2,600 she was supposed to have received.
Another four employees allegedly received less than their fixed monthly wages of between S$2,200 and S$2,600 for 24 months. They were identified as:
Read also: Twelve Cupcakes owner dismisses allegations of staff exploitation
Ding Yujie
Guadiz Kareen Grace Capitle
Kenn Harold Galo Villareal
Read also: Twelve Cupcakes sold to Indian tea company for S$2.5 million
Zhu Weihong
Court documents did not specify how much Twelve Cupcakes paid them, what their roles in the firm were or whether they are still employed there.
If convicted, the company could be fined up to S$10,000 or S$20,000 for each charge.
This is not the first time Twelve Cupcakes has been accused of similar offences.
In 2013, its then-owner and radio DJ Daniel Ong rejected allegations published on now-defunct socio-political website The Real Singapore that the firm exploited foreign workers by making them work longer hours than local employees, for low pay and with no overtime remuneration.
Mr Ong founded Twelve Cupcakes in 2011 with his ex-wife, Ms Jaime Teo. He and the actress divorced in 2016.
The chain was then sold to Indian tea company Dhunseri Group for S$2.5 million in January 2017.
Today, Twelve Cupcakes has 43 stores across Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...-underpaying-8-foreign-employees-over-2-years
