Migrant Workers Sued Employer & Starbucks for Almost $1 Million After Falling from Height

To us office workers, the riskiest thing to happen during a workday is for our boss to see us going through our Instagram feed.

But for some workers, they could be permanently disabled.

That was what happened to two brothers Mr Jahid and Mr Janaed, who both hail from Bangladesh.

The two brothers are suing several companies, one of which is their employer, for close to $1 million.

What Happened to the Elder Brother

Mr Janaed, the elder brother who’s 44, is now bedridden after suffering severe spinal injuries. The incident happened in Westgate Tower in Jurong East on 8 November 2018, when he fell 3m while inspecting an overhead chiller.

He worked for STA Rita Engineering Services, but here’s when it gets a tad complicated: Zoe International is the main contractor for Westgate Tower, so Zoe International has sub-contracted the work to STA Rita Engineering Services.

But.

It’s unknown why but Mr Janaed’s direct employer is actually Newtec Engineering.

And here’s the thing: this “direct employer” has defaulted on paying the hospital bills. But what about insurance, you ask. This direct employer didn’t even buy the required insurance policy for Mr Janaed, and the Ministry of Manpower is now investigating them.

To add more mystery to this direct employer, every party that’s sued have entered their defence (meaning they’re contesting the claims) except this direct employer.

You can draw your own conclusion about this direct employer and don’t bother Googling for them because there’s no information about them. Read on to know more about them instead.

Mr Janead is suing STA Rita Engineering Services for $650,000.

STA Rita Engineering Services has claimed that it was Mr Janaed’s negligent behaviour that led to the accident, adding that he had failed to abide by the safety issues that he had learnt.

What Happened to the Younger Brother

Mr Jahid, who’s 40, now depends on a wheelchair.

He allegedly fell about 4mfrom a ladder while doing air-conditioning maintenance work in the Starbucks outlet in United Square mall on 7 April 2018.

Similarly, the main contractor for the mall is Zoe International, and they’ve sub-contracted the air-conditioning and ventilation works to STA Rita Engineering Services, which Mr Jahid worked for, too.

Mr Jahid is claiming not just from his employer but from the mall and Starbucks, too. He allegedly asks for $290,000 in damages.

According to him, he was tasked to carry out air-conditioning and ventilation works on top of a false ceiling of the Starbucks outlet.

When he was climbing up the ladder, he lost his balance and fell off it from about 4m.

Mr Jahid claimed that his employer and the companies have been negligent and have breached their duties, and should have provided him a safe access to the top ceiling.

And just like the incident with his elder brother, the employer said it was due to Mr Jahid’s negligent behaviour that led to the accident.

The cases are still ongoing.

And now, you might be wondering: What’s with the direct employer that MIA?

Company MIA; Hospital Absorbed the Cost (So Far)

The direct employer of Mr Janead, Newtec Engineering, has completely disappeared.

As in, literally disappeared from Singapore.

Mr Janead had to stay in National University Hospital (NUH) and Alexandra Hospital for 243 days due to his injuries, and the bills came out to be $296,000.

That would’ve been paid off by insurers but here’s the thing: the direct employer didn’t buy any insurance for him.

This leads to the hospitals, which are both under the same parent company National University Health Services (NUHS) group, suing the employer for the money.

Usually, in a civil case like this, the hospital will first send a demand letter, and then a Writ of Summons; you can ignore the demand letter, but ignoring the Writ of Summons would mean that you don’t intend to contest the claim and therefore, the court would order your to pay whatever is due.

And well: the employer didn’t contest and NUHS is awarded the $296,000 bills.

But with the employer “giving up”, NUHS is not going to pursue the bills since it might mean that Mr Janead might need to bear the cost.

They said, “Mr Janaed was a patient whom we have cared for, and we understand his circumstances.

“We will not be pursuing any repayment of the medical and hospital bills from him. We, however, reserve our rights to take any necessary action against the employer.”

This also means the employer isn’t just in the hospital’s crosshairs, but in MOM’s eyes, too.

MOM has then said, “For failing to purchase and maintain both types of insurance and to pay for the medical expenses of Mr Janaed, MOM is investigating Newtec for offences under the Work Injury Compensation Act (Wica) and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, respectively.”

Employers that didn’t provide adequate insurance under Wica face a fine of up to $10,000 or a maximum jail term of 12 months, or both.

Those who do not buy and maintain the mandatory medical insurance or pay for a worker’s medical treatment can be fined up to $10,000 or jailed a maximum of 12 months, or both.

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