“I’m no longer me”: How an unfair dismissal shook a worker’s confidence

Losing a job is never easy. And when you’re dismissed without a valid reason, the blow goes beyond the loss of a livelihood.

It can leave you battling uncertainty, wondering what you could have done differently, and even questioning your self-worth.

These were some of the struggles former workplace specialist Felicia Fan, 39, went through with her last employer.

The lead-up to the termination of her employment

For two months, Felicia travelled to work with a prayer on her lips.

Her workplace had become a source of dread. She was dealing with an uncommunicative boss and an increasing sense of being ostracised by her peers.

She went to work each day fearing that it could be her last.

The first four months with the company had been largely uneventful. There were no conflicts and no clear signs that her employer was unhappy with her performance. She had even successfully completed the project she was hired for.

But after the project ended, she began noticing a change in how she was treated.

“I started getting left out of meetings, and my supervisor became not so communicative. When I sent her a message, I wouldn’t get a response,” she recounted.

Her work depended on timely communication and approvals. Without them, even routine operational tasks became difficult to carry out.

She also felt increasingly scrutinised and no longer trusted to do her job. As the situation deteriorated, she began to anticipate what she called her “D-Day” — the day she would be told to leave.

When that day finally came, she was shocked, even though she had been expecting it.

She asked her boss why her employment was being terminated. The reasons given, she felt, were petty and unrelated to business needs.

“I told her, ‘That’s not a good enough reason,’” said Felicia.

Her boss eventually left the meeting midway and asked HR to take over. Felicia felt disrespected, but did her best to keep her composure as she processed what was happening.

A familiar and painful ordeal

This was not Felicia’s first difficult experience with job loss.

Years earlier, she had been made redundant by a different company, but this latest dismissal left a different mark on her.

She found herself repeatedly asking whether she was the problem, whether she had made mistakes and what she could have done differently.

Even after collecting evidence of what she believed was unfair treatment, she hesitated to take action. She had never been the sort to rock the boat and wondered if pursuing a case was worth the trouble.

It took encouragement from close friends, who sent her a The Straits Times article about an unfair-dismissal case, to persuade her to seek help.

The emotional toll had already begun to affect other parts of her life. Felicia struggled to share her feelings with her husband, despite his support, because she felt like a failure and did not want to burden her family with her distress.

Her children could also sense something was wrong when she returned home with her belongings.

The repeated experiences affected how she saw herself professionally. During a subsequent job interview, an interviewer said she seemed capable, but that something was missing.

Reflecting on the conversation afterwards, Felicia realised that she had lost the confidence she once had.

“I’m no longer me,” she shared.

Finding a way forward

Felicia had sought help over an employment dispute before. During her previous redundancy incident, she had gone through the process with guidance from a case officer at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM@NTUC).

At the time, she was not seeking monetary compensation. She simply wanted the termination to be changed to a resignation.

The case officer helped her understand the process, explained what outcomes she could pursue and guided her on the evidence needed to support her case.

Even though she did not get the outcome she wanted, the experience gave Felicia a clearer understanding of the importance of evidence and of the options available to workers facing employment disputes.

For her latest case, she once again turned to TADM@NTUC for support. Only this time, she had gathered substantial evidence documenting her experience.

She was also clearer about what she wanted: a fair outcome that would help her move forward.

The employer initially offered compensation equivalent to one month’s salary, but working with her case officer, Felicia sought three-months' compensation instead.

The case was resolved in about two weeks, with Felicia securing the compensation she wanted. The payout gave her a welcome breather financially as she looked for her next job. .

Speaking up when something is not right

Looking back, Felicia believes workers facing similar situations should not have to navigate the process alone.

She encourages others to first make genuine attempts to resolve workplace issues directly with their employers. If the problems remain unresolved, they should document what has happened and seek guidance on their options.

Evidence is especially important, she stressed. Records of messages, unanswered requests and other relevant communications can help establish what happened and support a worker’s account.

She also encourages workers to check whether their NTUC union membership is active and to approach their union for guidance where appropriate.

For Felicia, the experience also changed how she viewed speaking up when something was wrong.

“When something is wrong, we shouldn’t keep quiet or sit it out,” she said. “We should try our very best to find the strength to continue to fight for what’s just.”

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