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Armed Forces Security (H.K.) Limited was today (November 12) fined $21,000 in total at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts for wage and holiday pay offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
The employer failed to pay wages to one employee within seven days after the expiry of the wage period as required by the Employment Ordinance. The amount of wages involved was about $19,000.
The employer also failed to pay holiday pay for two statutory holidays, the Ching Ming Festival and Labour Day, to the same employee in accordance with the Employment Ordinance.
According to Section 23 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the last day of the wage period shall be paid as soon as practicable but not later than seven days thereafter. 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.
Under Section 40 of the Employment Ordinance, an employee who has been employed by his employer under a continuous contract for a period of three months immediately preceding a statutory holiday shall, not later than the day on which the employee is next paid his wages after that holiday, be paid by his employer holiday pay. Any employer who fails to comply with the above statutory requirement is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 for each offence.
Employees who are owed wages or holiday pay should immediately report to the Labour Department's complaint hotline on 2815 2200.
Ends/Thursday, November 12, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:48
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