SATS probes claim wheelchair aide lost S$5 for 11-second delay
What's new: Singapore labor rules allow only pay deductions matching time missed, and the ministry is querying contractor Aventa Services.
SATS is reviewing allegations that a wheelchair assistant at Singapore Changi Airport had S$5 deducted from his wages for reporting 11 seconds late, a penalty that appears far larger than the time missed. The case surfaced after Maid Without Borders founder Juliet Low wrote on LinkedIn that the elderly worker showed her a payslip on his phone listing an “11 seconds late” deduction. Low said the assistant earned S$7 an hour. SATS said it had sought clarification from its service partner, Aventa Services, which is responding directly to queries from the Ministry of Manpower. Under Singapore’s Employment Act guidance, employers may deduct pay for lateness, but only for the period of absence and not beyond it.