Five months without pay: How employee recovers wages through mediation

The claimant was distraught as she had not been paid by her employer in five months. At her wits’ end as the family’s sole breadwinner, Wendy (not her real name) contacted the

Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management

(TADM).

Assigned to the case was TADM’s mediator Sandy Goh.

“I could tell that she was going through a very challenging period as her family was struggling with daily expenses. I really felt for her,” says Ms Goh.

As much as Ms Goh empathised with Wendy, the 57-year-old understood there are always two sides to every story.

Having worked in human resources for two decades before joining TADM in 2020, she knows staying neutral is important when helping both sides work through a dispute.

So when she contacted Wendy’s former employer to get the fuller picture, she was careful not to put him on the defensive.

“We told him, ‘We heard from your former employee, but we also want to hear your version of the story.’ As TADM mediators, we make it clear that we’re not judging,” she says. “We just want to help resolve the dispute amicably between the employee and employer.”

What happened next caught her by surprise. During the in-person mediation between both parties, Wendy’s former employer made no excuses. Instead, he opened up about his company’s money troubles and seemed genuinely committed to paying Wendy back, Ms Goh recalls.

Both parties agreed on an instalment plan, and Wendy eventually received her owed wages within four months.

“I was so happy for Wendy, because the sum of money relieved her financial situation immediately,” she shares. “Every case that comes to TADM is an opportunity for us to help make someone’s life better.”

Balancing the scales

TADM was set up by Singapore’s tripartite partners – the Ministry of Manpower, the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation – to help employees and employers resolve disputes fairly and effectively.

In 2024, it helped settle more than 80 per cent of employment claims it received, comprising mostly salary and dismissal claims, with more than 90 per cent of workers recovering their salaries and payments.

Every case is carefully handled and guided by employment laws and tripartite guidelines – including the Employment Act, which protects basic rights like timely salary payment.

When employment disputes arise and the issue cannot be resolved within the company, trained mediators like Ms Goh step in.

Using facilitative mediation, a method she picked up during her certification course with the Singapore Mediation Centre, she guides both parties to find their own answers.

“What I think will work may not be what both parties want. It’s their case, and they have to come up with solutions that they find acceptable and agreeable,” she says.

Although employee-filed claims are more common, employers also turn to TADM for help.

Ms Goh once handled a case where an employer called in, upset that an employee had stopped reporting for work without notice. His frustration was understandable, but once he learnt, over a mediation session, that the employee had left to deal with a family emergency, he softened up.

As a gesture of goodwill, he agreed to lower the penalty the employee had to pay for breaking the contract.

“It served as a reminder that staying neutral is really important. We cannot assume someone would be ‘difficult’ just because they sounded angry on the phone,” Ms Goh says.

However, it is not always easy. In some cases, it takes several mediation sessions before both parties start to agree. Emotions can also run so high that things almost come to a head, Ms Goh says as she recalls a case.

“The moment the man stood up, I knew there was no way we could continue and called for assistance immediately. We have to be very alert when things start to get heated.”

Ms Goh is trained to calm these situations and bring both parties back on track once they have cooled off.

Mediation is set to play an even bigger role when the upcoming Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) takes effect in 2026 or 2027.

Once implemented, it will be unlawful for companies to make adverse employment decisions such as hiring, promotions or dismissals based on the following protected characteristics: age, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy or caregiving duties, race, religion, language, disability and mental health conditions.

Employers will also be required to establish grievance handling processes for employees to report concerns, such as workplace discrimination, to facilitate dispute resolution within the firm. Mediation will be the next step if the matter cannot be resolved internally.

What sustains Ms Goh through the challenging aspects of her role is witnessing the real difference her work makes. She was surprised to find an envelope waiting for her in the mail a few days after Wendy received her owed wages

“Most would drop a thank-you text or email, but she actually sent a handwritten card to express her gratitude. It was very special to me,” she adds.

If you have a workplace dispute,

click here to learn more about what you can do and how TADM can help.