Twelve Cupcakes in court facing 29 charges of underpaying 8 foreign employees

Failed to pay S$2,000-plus salaries.

Belmont Lay | October 24, 2020, 01:10 AM

Twelve Cupcakes is accused of underpaying eight of its foreign employees their stipulated monthly salaries for the months between December 2016 and January 2019.

The dessert retailer has been charged in court and is facing 29 counts of contravening rules under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act pertaining to employers of S Pass holders. 

Twelve Cupcakes returned to court on Oct. 22, 2020.

It was first charged on Oct. 1.

Details of the case were released in court documents.

One employee, believed to be a foreigner, was allegedly paid a lower monthly salary lesser than the S$2,600 she was supposed to receive during the entire 26-month period.

Four other employees allegedly received lesser than their stipulated salaries of between S$2,200 and S$2,600 for 24 months.

The court documents did not reveal how much these employees are owed, nor their designations previously.

Twelve Cupcakes could be fined up to S$10,000 or S$20,000 for each charge if convicted.

Ownership

Twelve Cupcakes used to be owned by Singaporeans.

It was founded in 2011 by then-owner and radio DJ Daniel Ong with his ex-wife, Jaime Teo.

The couple divorced in 2016.

In January 2017, the chain was sold to Indian tea company Dhunseri Group for S$2.5 million.

There are 43 stores worldwide outside of Singapore, including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

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