Man In Singapore Locks Up 9 Ex-Employees In Office After Being Fired

A man who was angry over being fired by his company locked up nine ex-employees in the office in Singapore. Fifty-two-year-old Vict Lim Siong Hock padlocked the main door – the only entrance to his former workplace – in September last year, according to Channel News Asia (CNA). On Monday, Lim pleaded guilty to one count of wrongful confinement, with an additional charge of sending an abusive message to a former colleague, the outlet further said. He has been fined $2,983 (Rs 2.47 lakh).

Citing court records, the CNA report said that Lim began working as a driver and logistics assistant at an electronics company situated in Pantech Business Hub in late May 2022. His job began on July 1, 2022, and he worked from 8am to 5pm, with an allotted one-hour lunch break. However, his employment was terminated on August 30, 2022, before he could complete his probation period.

Following his dismissal, Lim purchased a padlock from a hardware store with the intention of locking up the sole entrance to his former workplace. This act stemmed from his resentment towards the termination, the court was told. On September 1, 2022, around 2:20pm, Lim arrived at the office and secured the entrance door with the padlock. According to Lim, he assumed his ex-colleagues were all on their lunch breaks and that “probably all of them” had left the office.

However, the lunch breaks were staggered to ensure that at least one employee was present in the office at any given time.

Approximately 10 minutes after Lim locked the door, an employee attempted to exit the office to use the restroom but was unable to do so. The man realised that the door had been locked from the outside, and informed his other colleagues trapped inside. In total, nine employees were confined within the office. They sought the assistance of a colleague from a different part of the building who confirmed that the entrance door had been padlocked.

To resolve the situation, the company hired a locksmith, incurring a cost of around $60 to remove the padlock that same day. The owner then filed a police report against Lim, whose actions were caught on CCTV.

Facing the charge of wrongful confinement, Lim could spend three years in jail, fined, or face a combination of both penalties.