Hong Kong – Company and its director fined $241,000 for contravening Employment Ordinance

     Kin Shun Information Technology Management Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to make timely payment of wages to seven employees and a sum awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) to one employee as required by the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (July 3) and were each fined $120,500, making a total fine of $241,000. The company and its director were also ordered to pay an outstanding sum of about $357,000 via the court to the employees concerned.
      
     The company failed to pay seven employees, in accordance with the requirement of the EO, wages totalling about $300,000 within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods and termination of their employment contracts, and also failed to pay one employee the awarded sum totalling about $90,000 within 14 days after the date set by the LT. The director concerned was prosecuted and convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences committed by the company.
      
     “The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay employees’ wages within the time limit stipulated in the EO and awarded sums as ordered by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board,” a spokesman for the LD said.
      
     “The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added.