Singapore-based software firm Napier Healthcare Solutions is under investigation by the Ministry of Manpower following claims of unpaid wages stretching back to November 2023.

Despite securing a S$17.4 million contract from the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2021, the company has struggled financially, leaving employees in limbo over their salaries.

MoM, in collaboration with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, has stepped in to assist 12 affected employees in their claims for unpaid wages.

Authorities confirmed that Napier Healthcare Solutions is being investigated for potential breaches of the Employment Act. They assured that continued support would be provided to those impacted.

A prominent contract, yet financial woes persist

Napier Healthcare Solutions, established in 2008, specialises in healthcare technology solutions, including patient information systems and artificial intelligence tools for hospitals and nursing homes.

Amid its financial struggles, the company was awarded a substantial contract by MHA in September 2021 to develop and maintain the Home Team Medical Information System.

This raises questions about how a firm with such a major government contract ended up in a cash crunch severe enough to delay salaries.

The company’s leadership includes Lau Ping Sum, a former Political Secretary for Health and a former Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC, who has been listed as a director since 2017.

While headquartered in Singapore, the firm’s LinkedIn profile reveals that most of its workforce operates from Hyderabad, India, where its Global Development Centre is based.

In Singapore, the company employs only nine staff members.

Broken promises and mounting debts

A Napier Healthcare Solutions spokesperson confirmed the salary delays, attributing them to a “cash flow challenge” and pledging to clear outstanding payments by the end of January 2025, The Straits Times reported.

However, weeks later, on 4 February, the company stated that payments would be made “in the next few days.” By 17 February, the spokesperson reiterated that while the dues remained unsettled, “the funds are expected.”

For affected employees, these assurances have rung hollow. Three former employees, speaking anonymously, detailed their prolonged struggle to receive owed salaries.

One individual, who joined in October 2023 and resigned in July 2024, reported that his salary had only been paid on time in his first month. Thereafter, payments came in erratic lump sums ranging from $2,500 to $15,000.

By the time he left in July 2024, he was still owed approximately $90,000. He sought legal assistance and, in September 2024, sent a demand letter to Napier Healthcare Solutions. The company promised to settle the amount by 15 October 2024, but as of 19 February 2025, the payment had yet to materialise.

Another former employee, who was last fully paid in October 2023, resigned due to the company’s lack of transparency regarding salary payments. He recalled how management repeatedly reassured staff that funds would be raised, but deadlines kept slipping.

“They kept saying they would pay next week, or next Tuesday, or Friday, or by the end of the month. And this promise would always be broken,” the person said.

An erosion of trust

The company’s inability to honour salary commitments despite securing a government contract highlights the importance of robust financial management, clear communication, and ethical responsibility toward employees.

The erosion of trust within an organisation can have far-reaching consequences, from talent attrition to reputational damage that may hinder future business prospects.

As MoM’s investigation unfolds, the case suggests the need for businesses to prioritise financial prudence and employee wellbeing – lest they find themselves in similarly troubled waters.