MOM investigating claims that airport wheelchair assistant had pay docked for being 11 seconds late

SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating claims that a wheelchair assistant at Changi Airport had $5 docked from his pay for being 11 seconds late for work.

Separately, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said it is seeking clarification from Aventa Services on the allegations and, along with its unions, called on the company to also review its policies and practices.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, MOM said on Aug 21: “We are aware of this case and have contacted Aventa Services, the employer of the affected employee, to establish the nature and extent of the deductions.”

The ministry said that it will take appropriate enforcement actions if the deduction is found to be unauthorised or excessive.

The incident first came to light in an Aug 12 LinkedIn post by Juliet Low, the founder of direct hire caregiving app Maid Without Borders Singapore.

In the post, she detailed her encounter with a wheelchair assistant at Changi Airport who said he had $5 docked from his pay because he was 11 seconds late a few weeks ago. The assistant was said to be earning $7 an hour.

“He actually showed me a picture of his payslip stating the 11-second deduction. That’s almost an hour of his pay – for 11 seconds,” Low wrote, adding that the deduction was “completely disproportionate”.

The LinkedIn post later went viral, amassing more than 700 reactions and 150 comments as at Aug 21.

In its statement, MOM said that employers owe their employees a duty of care and responsibility.

Employers can make salary deductions only for reasons authorised under the Employment Act, which include when an employee is late, it said, but added that the deduction must be proportionate to the period of absence.

“Employers cannot impose a larger salary deduction simply by characterising it as a ‘penalty’ or ‘fine’,” it said.

The ministry said that it would take appropriate enforcement action against employers who flout the rules, taking into account their rectification measures and the severity of the offence.

The punishments include a stern warning and, in severe cases, prosecution, it added.

MOM said that making such unauthorised or excessive deductions from employees’ salaries may amount to a failure to pay salaries in accordance with the Employment Act, which is an offence.

It added that such breaches will also be investigated. 

In a response to queries from ST, the NTUC said on Aug 22 that the company is non-unionised but some of its workers are members of the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU).

It is not known if the worker whose wages were allegedly docked is a union member.

“Workers should be treated with dignity and fairness, and workplace policies should be reasonable, and communicated and implemented responsibly,” said NTUC deputy secretary-general and adviser to the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster of unions Cham Hui Fong.

“The allegation of an unfair salary deduction is concerning and unacceptable. NTUC and our unions call on Aventa Services to clarify the circumstances, and to review its policies and practices, and do right by its workers.”

She added that while companies may have policies to encourage punctuality, any deduction that is disproportionate to a worker’s salary is not acceptable.

NTUC has contacted union members in Aventa and will provide the support where needed, Cham said.

She added that employers in the service industry may have attendance and punctuality policies to support operational requirements, but “such policies should be implemented fairly, transparently and with reasonable discretion”.

Salary deductions should be in line with employment laws and guidelines, with workers understanding clearly why their pay has been docked and having avenues to clarify or appeal the deduction, Cham said.

“For isolated or minor breaches, employers should consider whether alternative measures such as counselling, reminders or other corrective actions may be more appropriate,” she added.

A spokesperson for airport ground services provider SATS had said on Aug 15 that it was “aware of and concerned by” the allegations made in the LinkedIn post.

The spokesperson added that Aventa Services was responding directly to queries from MOM.

“SATS takes such matters seriously and expects all service partners to comply with applicable employment laws and regulations,” the spokesperson said.

MOM urged those who face unauthorised or excessive salary deduction to file a claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, which can help workers recover their salary if lapses are found.

Those who have concerns about employment practices may approach NTUC or SISEU for assistance, at siseu@ntuc.org.sg, or 6220-3345 (during working hours).