SINGAPORE: After one of their former colleagues suddenly resigned from her job and took a laptop belonging to the company with her, a local Reddit user took to the platform to ask what could be done.
In a post on r/SingaporeRaw earlier this week. u/Working_Iron9393 wrote that this occurred at a company where they used to work and that they found this out when their former boss called.
Writing that they were “still shook” by the news, the post author added that the woman “just rage-quit because she didn’t receive a bonus.”
To make matters worse, she did not even serve notice of her resignation, but merely submitted a 24-hour resignation letter, and also took the laptop, a MacBook Pro, with her.
“That the laptop is her ‘contra’ for the bonus she thinks she’s entitled to. I don’t know the full story from her side, but this feels very off. The laptop has company data and it’s technically company property, not a token of appreciation you just walk off with,” the post author wrote, adding that the company’s HR and IT departments are trying to determine what can be done.
They went on to ask if others have experienced a similar situation, and what a firm can “realistically” do, whether to go the legal route, call the police, or if there are other ways to deal with it.
Some commenters on the post pointed out that the woman taking the laptop is nothing to sneeze at, since MacBook Pros start to retail at around $2200 in Singapore.
One commented that this may be the reason why most companies prefer to use less expensive laptops, such as those produced by Dell.
“Sounds like a super immature employee,” wrote one, who characterised what the woman did as “theft through and through.” They added that if the company really wants to pursue it, they can file a police report.
Another warned that the woman may be an expat working in Singapore, in which case, she could just leave the country.
The post author, however, clarified in the comments that she is a local and in her 40s, and added, “I hope she reads this subreddit and gives back the laptop ASAP.”
Others pointed out that whereas breach of contract is not a criminal offence, theft is.
Some endeavoured to be sympathetic toward the woman. While pointing out that she committed theft, one wrote, “If she is indeed owed the bonus, shame on the boss.”
“If your ex colleague think she was shortchanged in terms of bonus, etc, she can raise this with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM),” another chimed in, adding that it was a pity that the woman “ruined her whole future career prospect with one stupid move, now she is going to have a black mark on her record when HR does background checks.”
When asked why the post author was still concerned over a company they had left behind, they explained, “I was the one who hired her, so I was quite close to her. I wanted to ignore the ex-boss’ message, but I didn’t.”
Another had this straightforward advice: “Write a demand letter requesting the return of the laptop within 48 hours, citing company ownership and legal consequences. If unreturned, file a police report for misappropriation and initiate civil proceedings to recover the asset and/or any associated damages.”