- MOM is investigating claims that a Changi Airport wheelchair assistant had S$5 docked from his pay for being 11 seconds late, as highlighted by Juliet Low.
- On August 7, Juliet Low's husband was assisted by a wheelchair worker at Changi Airport, who showed her his payslip indicating an 11-second-late deduction.
- On August 14, ground handler SATS stated it was looking into the allegations and sought clarification from Aventa Services.
- On August 21, MOM confirmed it had contacted Aventa Services to determine the nature of the deductions and would take enforcement action if they were unauthorized or excessive.
- The matter was brought to light by Juliet Low, who detailed in a LinkedIn post a conversation with the wheelchair service worker, revealing that S$5 had been deducted from his wages for being 11 seconds late.
- According to manpower regulations, employers may make salary deductions for an employee's absence from work, but deductions for lateness cannot exceed the salary for the actual period absent.
- If 11 seconds of lateness resulted in a S$5 deduction, it would imply the worker earned about S$1,636 per hour, or S$13,091 for an eight-hour day.
- MOM stated that employers cannot impose larger salary deductions than the period of absence by characterizing it as a penalty or fine.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is probing allegations that a wheelchair assistant at Changi Airport had S$5 deducted from his wages for being just 11 seconds late. The case was highlighted by Ms. Juliet Low, CEO of Maid Without Borders, who shared the worker's payslip showing the deduction.157
MOM stated, "If it is determined that the deduction is unauthorised or excessive, MOM will take appropriate enforcement actions accordingly." The ministry has contacted Aventa Services, the worker's employer, to investigate the nature of the deductions.3
SATS, the ground-handling company, expressed concern over the allegations and is seeking clarification from Aventa. They emphasized that all service partners must comply with employment laws.
According to MOM, employers can only deduct salaries for authorized reasons, such as absence from work, and deductions for lateness must not exceed the salary for the period of absence. In this case, the deduction of S$5 for 11 seconds would imply an hourly wage of approximately S$1,636, raising questions about the legitimacy of the penalty.
MOM reiterated that unauthorized deductions could lead to prosecution and that employees can file claims with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management if they believe their salaries have been improperly deducted. The investigation into this incident is ongoing, and no conclusions have been drawn yet regarding the legality of the deduction.
“The worker reportedly earns S$7 an hour, making the S$5 deduction for 11 seconds equivalent to an hourly rate of about S$1,636. MOM warns that unauthorized or excessive deductions could lead to prosecution, and employees can file claims with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management.”
