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Employer fined for wage offences
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    Jointa International Limited and its secretary, Ms Barbara Poon, were fined a total of $30,000 at Shatin Magistrates' Courts today (April 11) for wage offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.

    The employer failed to pay wages to two employees within seven days after the termination of employment as required by the ordinance. The amount of wages involved was about $26,000.

    According to Section 25 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon termination of employment shall be paid as soon as practicable, but in any case not later than seven days.  Any employer who fails to do so wilfully and without reasonable excuse is liable to a maximum fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years.

    In addition, Section 64B of the Employment Ordinance stipulates that where any wage payment offence committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, the director, manager, secretary or other similar officer shall be guilty of a like offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum penalty of a fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years.

    Employees who are owed wages should immediately report to the Labour Department's complaint hotline on 2815 2200.

Ends/Friday, April 11, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:00

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