The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is looking into allegations that a wheelchair assistant at Changi Airport had S$5 deducted from his pay after being 11 seconds late for work.
MOM said on Friday (21 August) that it had contacted Aventa Services, which employs the worker, to determine what deductions were made and why.
The ministry said it would take appropriate enforcement action if it finds that any deduction was unauthorised or excessive. No finding has been made that Aventa Services breached employment laws.
Worker Allegedly Had S$5 Deducted for Being 11 Seconds Late
The allegation emerged after Juliet Low, CEO of Maid Without Borders, wrote about an encounter with the elderly wheelchair assistant in a LinkedIn post.
Low said the worker assisted her husband at Changi Airport on 7 August after they returned from Da Nang. Her husband was recovering from a fracture.
According to Low, the worker told her that S$5 had been deducted from his wages because he was 11 seconds late. She subsequently asked to see his payslip on his phone and told CNA that it stated “11 seconds late” and referred to a deduction or penalty.
Low also said the worker told her that he earned S$7 an hour. She wrote that many wheelchair ushers were elderly and that the work could be physically demanding, adding that workers could occasionally clock in slightly late after toilet breaks. These claims came from Low’s account of her conversation with the worker and have not been established as MOM’s findings.
Ground handler SATS had said on 14 August that it was concerned about the allegations and had sought clarification from its service partner, Aventa Services.
SATS said Aventa was responding directly to MOM’s queries, and added that it expected its service partners to comply with employment laws and regulations.
How Much Can Your Employer Actually Deduct If You Are Late?
Under the Employment Act, employers can make salary deductions for certain authorised reasons, including absence from work.
But if the deduction is for being late, MOM says the amount cannot exceed the salary for the actual period that the employee was absent.
For example, someone who arrives 30 minutes late can have up to 30 minutes of salary deducted, not an arbitrary larger amount. MOM also says employers should find out why an employee was late and should not unfairly penalise someone if there is a valid reason.
To put the allegation in perspective, S$5 for 11 seconds of work would correspond to an hourly pay rate of about S$1,636, or around S$13,091 for an eight-hour day.
MOM also told CNA that an employer cannot get around the proportionality requirement simply by describing a larger deduction as a “penalty” or “fine”.
Excessive Salary Deductions Can Be an Offence
MOM said unauthorised or excessive deductions could amount to a failure to pay salaries properly under the Employment Act, which is an offence.
If an offence is established, enforcement can depend on factors including how serious the breach was and what the employer did to rectify it. MOM said action could range from a stern warning to prosecution in more serious cases.
Employees who believe that too much has been deducted from their salary can file a claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM). MOM’s website advises workers to make salary claims as early as possible.
For now, MOM’s investigation into the Changi Airport worker’s case is ongoing, and it has not concluded that the alleged S$5 deduction broke the law.
