There are rules and regulations to follow at work, but what do you do when you're hit with penalties amounting to a staggering RM5,000?

A Malaysian man, using the pseudonym Kingsley, who works in the hospitality industry, recently shared an invoice he received from the HR manager after he resigned. The invoice listed Kingsley’s mistakes, and he was expected to repay the company for them.

Including an 8% service tax, Kingsley was asked to pay a total of RM5,023.

Initially thinking it was a joke, Kingsley was surprised when the General Manager confirmed the invoice was legitimate. You can see the invoice below, though some parts are blurred for privacy.

• Room Accommodation (RM2,000): "Group booking with complimentary rooms for Medical & Equipment room, but the rates were recorded for 4 nights with 2 rooms (RM250+ per night per room). You acknowledged that the rates needed manual adjustment in the system but failed to do so after last-minute changes from the Sales Team, as per your email with the General Manager."
• Best Rate Guaranteed (BRG) Penalty (RM2,175.93): "Rates were not properly checked, resulting in a BRG claim from a guest arriving in 2025. The hotel ended up paying the BRG for this mistake."
• VIP’s Transportation (RM280): "Two cars were arranged for VIPs as a service recovery for the mistake. You did not acknowledge transportation changes and requests, leading to a cancellation penalty charged to the hotel."

A fourth penalty, costing RM195, was not disclosed.

Labour Department Was Alerted

Kingsley tendered his resignation in June and was given the invoice shortly after. Refusing to pay, he escalated the matter to corporate HR.

“After a thorough investigation, Corporate HR instructed them to retract the invoice and issue me an official statement confirming they wouldn’t pursue it.”

Kingsley requested the statement for safekeeping.

“I suspected they would try to pursue this after I left.”

Indeed, the statement revealed that HR had intended to pursue the matter after his departure but decided not to. However, Kingsley had to endure significant stress during his notice period due to reporting the issue to corporate.

“I had to endure harassment during my notice period, which took a toll on my mental and physical well-being,” Kingsley said.

He also reported the incident to the Malaysian Labour Department (JTK), hoping they would take action. However, the case didn’t progress.

“JTK told me they could only act if HR illegally withheld my salary or deducted the penalties from my pay.”

As of August 15, Kingsley has yet to receive any apology from his former GM and HR, and they have shown no remorse throughout his notice period.

“To my knowledge, the GM and the HR manager have faced no consequences. Not a warning, not even a reprimand,” he added.