An employee who was filmed washing her shoes in a sink at a dessert store in the National University Hospital Kopitiam outlet has been sacked after the video of her performing the deed went viral on social media.
Facebook user Queenie Here posted the video last Sunday, in which she wrote "Care for a dessert @ NUHKopitiam? I wanted to order dessert after my dinner. Unfortunately I saw this scene..."
The video was subsequently shared by several social media sites. The clip shows the woman scrubbing her shoes with a brush, which she then places back into a container which held other kitchen utensils.
The video has attracted an overwhelming negative response, with many netizens angry at the lack of hygiene standards.
Kopitiam has since apologized for the incident and posted on its Facebook that it had "terminated" the staff and would conduct full investigations into the case. It also said the washing equipment used by the staff had been replaced and the sink disinfected.
The National University Hospital also shared Kopitiam's Facebook post, saying that it was aware of the video and had found the actions of the staff "highly unacceptable".
However, the staff's termination has also attracted anger from netizens, who questioned whether her actions warranted her termination. They felt that the staff should have been educated instead of fired immediately.