‘Such a grand ending to its legacy’: Hotel Miramar praised for giving generous severance pay to 69-year-old contract staff after 52 years of service
such-a-grand-ending-to-its-legacy-hotel-miramar-praised-for-giving-generous-severance-pay-to-69-year-old-contract-staff-after-52-years-of-service
#grand #legacy #Hotel #Miramar #praised #giving #generous #severance #pay #69yearold #contract #staff #years #service,
SINGAPORE: Hotel Miramar Singapore’s closure at the end of October this year will mark the end of one of Singapore’s long-running hospitality stories. While the closure drew the attention of many Singaporeans, what earned the hotel widespread praise was how it chose to treat its employees in its final chapter.
Of the 108 staff getting laid off as the hotel closes, 69-year-old Chen Jin Feng, who had hoped to work for the hotel until she turned 75, was surprised that the company gave her a generous severance pay worth 52 months of salary.
According to Mothership, citing Lianhe Zaobao’s report, Ms Chen has worked at the hotel since she was 17. As a contract employee, she did not expect to receive the same severance benefits as full-time staff, yet the management applied the same standard, offering her one month’s pay for every year of service.
Ms Chen had spent her entire career at Hotel Miramar, serving under three generations of owners, all of whom, she noted, always treated their employees like family.
The hotel earned widespread praise from netizens, with one saying, “This is such a grand ending to the hotel’s legacy.” He added, “You know, good on the owners for being decent people and paying out well to their loyal staff. Nowadays, we hear so much about penny-pinching bosses who drive big, nice cars and treat their employees like disposables.”
Another commenter said, “Most companies will just tell you that the contract will not be renewed, and you get nothing. Good that Miramar paid her severance package of 52 months.”
One commenter, responding to those curious about how the 69-year-old “survived” 52 years without being laid off, said, “Well, perhaps she’s very good at what she does and the hotel values her experience. Not everything has to be pegged to chasing higher wages. There are other intangible factors like working environment, benefits, etc. I guess if she can work there for [a] long [time] and manage to raise a family, that probably worked out for her.”
Meanwhile, another remarked, “I guess that loyalty really pays.”
Lianhe Zaobao reported that a quarter of the current employees have been with the hotel for more than a decade, and about 12% for more than 20 years.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many hotels cut jobs or salaries, Hotel Miramar held on to all employees without reducing their pay.
Other long-serving staff also spoke about the support they received from the hotel and the sense of care that kept them there over the years.
Food and beverage supervisor Wu Mei Ying, 65, who first joined as a part-timer and went on to work at the hotel for 34 years, told Lianhe Zaobao she was moved by how supportive her boss was when she was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago.
“My boss was very kind to me when he saw me, and I could feel his genuine care and concern for his employees,” she said.
Ms Wu said she does not plan to work in another hotel once Hotel Miramar closes, as she may choose to work in a smaller café instead.
Housekeeping supervisor Lin Wei Lie, 51, who worked 24 years at the hotel, said he feels it will be difficult to find another company in Singapore that treats its employees like family.
“I originally thought that I would work at Hotel Miramar till I retired. I didn’t expect there to be such a sudden change,” he said.
Filipino staff Chio Aaron, 37, who has been with the hotel for 14 years, added that he once thought he would retire there, only to see the hotel “retire earlier” than them. /TISG