SINGAPORE — The watchdog handling complaints of unfair employment practices said it has reached out to the former employer of a man whose manager did not allow him to attend to his dying father.

The employer had acknowledged its lapses and apologised to the man in August, several months after the incident, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) said on Oct 29 in response to TODAY's queries.

The man, who goes by the name Syed Ahmad Sabar Aljoofri, wrote in a Facebook group called Complaint Singapore on Oct 27 that his operations manager had held him back from attending to his father when he was on his deathbed.

This happened on Dec 23 last year, Mr Syed Ahmad said, without naming the company or his manager.

He said that he had received a call at around 9.40am that day from a doctor at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, urging him to go to the hospital immediately to visit his father who "appeared to be unresponsive, albeit still alive".

Mr Syed Ahmad said he informed his operations manager that he had to rush to the hospital. "However, he told me that he was only able to release me at 4pm," Mr Syed Ahmad said.

At 11.30am, at the third time of asking, Mr Syed Ahmad said he was finally allowed to leave. Then at 11.42am, while he was on the way to the hospital, he received another call from the same doctor informing him that his father had died.

Mr Syed Ahmad then said that a week after his father's death, he was fired for "taking many days of leave" which were "deemed to be unapproved".

Mr Syed Ahmad stated on his Facebook page that he left his job as a data processing specialist at Iron Mountain — a data solutions company — on Jan 2.

His Facebook profile states that he works as a food delivery rider.

Tafep said it was aware of the matter and had engaged the former employer, which it did not name, earlier this year.

"The employer acknowledged that they should have handled the matter more sensitively and empathetically, especially in this situation which involved the impending loss of a loved one," Tafep said.

"The employer subsequently reached out to Mr Syed to apologise in person in August, before Mr Syed’s post on Oct 27 on the Complaint Singapore site."

The watchdog said that as a good practice, there should be early and open communication between employers and employees on any caregiving responsibilities, medical or family emergencies that employees may have.

This provides an opportunity for both sides to work out suitable arrangements for the business and the employee.

"Companies should also consider putting in place HR policies and procedures to facilitate urgent leave applications to attend to such matters," Tafep said.

"There should also be proper grievance handling procedures in place, so that employees have a safe environment to raise their concerns, and enable these concerns to be addressed quickly and effectively."

TODAY has reached out to Mr Syed Ahmad and the company for comments.