2 private security firms charged with making security officers work excessive hours

SINGAPORE — Two private security agencies were on Thursday (Oct 14) charged with requiring their security officers to work excessive hours in breach of employment laws.

The firms are Volantra Security, which faces three charges under the Employment Act, and Erawan Security Services, which faces two charges under the same law.

Enforcement operations by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) showed that security officers from the two firms had worked back-to-back shifts on many occasions between February and March.

These officers had worked regularly for 17 to 20 hours a day on those occasions.

Under the Employment Act, Singapore’s main employment law, private security agencies must not deploy their officers to work more than 12 hours a day, unless the exceptions stated in the Act apply.

These are:

• In cases of accidents
• When work is essential to the life of the community or essential for defence or security
• When there is urgent work to be done to machinery or a plant, or an interruption of work that was impossible to foresee

Volantra Security allegedly instructed the following employees to work beyond the legal limits:

•  Ms Jai Priya Visvalingam, on 17 days between Feb 17 and March 29
•  Mr Puthu Alagan A Vello, on 16 days between Feb 6 and March 17
•  Mr Buvanesvaren K Manogharan, on four days between Feb 20 and March 23

For each charge of deploying an employee to work beyond 12 hours a day, Volantra Security could face a fine of up to S$10,000.

Separately, Erawan Security Services was said to have instructed its employee, Ms Rajeswari Kesien, to work beyond the legal limits on seven days between Feb 1 and 28, and on 11 days between March 1 and 23.

If convicted, Erawan Security Services could be fined up to S$10,000 for each charge.

Representatives for the firms told the court that they intended to plead guilty on Nov 16.

From April to August, MOM inspected nearly 200 private security agencies for compliance with the Employment Act, particularly with working hours and overtime limits.

Breaches were discovered at about 36 per cent of those firms, the ministry said on Thursday.

While most cases were minor, it is acting against 15 companies for deploying their officers beyond the permissible working-hour limits.

Errant employers found to have flouted provisions under the Act may be prosecuted and fined up to S$5,000 for each offence.

For the second and subsequent offences, they could be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to 12 months, or both.

MOM said that it was committed to safeguarding the welfare of all workers and urged anyone who knows of violations of employment law to report them to the ministry.

Ms Christine Loh, director of its employment standards enforcement department, said: “As we continue to educate employees on their rights, we will also carry out regular site inspections and take stern action against errant employers found to be flouting the law.”