Ex-staff of Karhoo Singapore lodge reports with CPF Board over arrears

SINGAPORE — Left hanging after their firm shut down abruptly last month, six former employees of Karhoo Singapore have filed complaints to recover their Central Provident Fund arrears, with the CPF Board ready to take “prosecution action” if the company fails to pay up.

The former employees of the now-defunct British taxi-hailing start-up had lodged complaints after the firm failed to pay its share of CPF contributions for employees for October, a CPF Board spokesperson said in response to TODAY’s queries.

While the total amount of CPF arrears was not revealed, some of the affected employees said that they were each owed sums of between S$2,000 and S$2,200.

When asked about the arrears, Ms Justina Kozicki, Karhoo’s former vice-president for business development in Asia, said she was unable to comment and directed TODAY to the firm’s former spokesperson and its administrators.

On Nov 8, the firm — which had offices in cities including London, New York and Singapore — announced that it was shutting, citing financial woes. It had about 15 employees here.

Meanwhile, the CPF Board is taking “recovery action” against the firm, its spokesperson said.

“We’ll proceed to take prosecution action against (Karhoo Singapore) for the late-payment offences if the company fails to make full payment by the stipulated timeline,” the spokesperson added, without elaborating. 

Former employees, all of whom spoke to TODAY on condition of anonymity, said they filed complaints with the CPF Board in recent weeks.

A staff member in her mid-20s, who joined the firm at the start of this year, said she was owed an estimated  “S$4,000 to S$5,000”, which includes CPF arrears and unpaid salary for the one-month notice period set out in her employment contract.

Her priority is to reclaim the unpaid wages and she plans to file a report with the Ministry of Manpower soon.

Another employee in his 20s, who began work in August, said he was owed the October CPF contribution and other sums, such as expenses. 

But recovering his CPF arrears, which amount to about S$2,000, was “the bare minimum”, although he has not filed a complaint with the CPF Board yet. “Everything else, to me, is a bonus,” he said. 

A fellow staff member, who started out in May, was displeased with Ms Kozicki’s handling of the company’s closure. No proper termination letter was given to employees, she said. 

Ms Kozicki, who was also a Karhoo Singapore director, had on Nov 12 sent all employees an email — a copy of which was seen by TODAY — announcing that the firm was “officially insolvent and herewith your employment terminated”.

“You can’t just write a generic email and say … you’re terminated and bye-bye,” said the staff member.

The firm owes her about S$2,200 in CPF arrears before interest and she filed a complaint with the CPF Board late last month. 

Meanwhile, Mr Steven Loke, 50, who owns the firm’s premises at Club Street, said Karhoo Singapore owes rent for November.

The firm did not officially notify him that it had shut and he got wind of its closure through the news, the landlord added. 

Asked what he would do if the firm remained silent, Mr Loke said: “I will take legal action to take back my unit.”