SATS probes claim worker lost S$5 for being 11 seconds late
Why it matters: Singapore labor rules allow only time-based deductions, and the ministry is already querying the contractor.
SATS is seeking answers from service partner Aventa Services after a Changi Airport wheelchair assistant allegedly had S$5 deducted from his wages for arriving 11 seconds late. The claim surfaced in a LinkedIn post by Juliet Low of Maid Without Borders Singapore, who said the elderly worker showed her a payslip listing the deduction after assisting her husband on Aug. 7. Low said the worker earned S$7 an hour, making the penalty nearly an hour's pay. Singapore's Ministry of Manpower says late-pay deductions cannot exceed the period of absence and employers should not unfairly penalize workers with valid reasons. SATS said Aventa is responding directly to the ministry.