Company and its director fined $60,000 for contravening Employment Ordinance
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Ready To Cook Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violation of the requirements under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (December 9) and were fined a total sum of $60,000. The company was also ordered to pay an outstanding sum of about $34,000 to the employee concerned.
The company wilfully and without reasonable excuse contravened the requirements of the EO, failing to pay an employee wages within seven days after the expiry of wage periods and termination of an employment contract totalling about $34,000, as well as the awarded sum of about $34,000, within 14 days after the date set by the Labour Tribunal (LT). The director concerned was prosecuted and convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.
“The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO, as well as the sums awarded 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.