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Top Dynamic Limited, which is engaged in the catering industry, was fined $66,000 in total at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (April 13) for wage and holiday offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was taken out by the Labour Department.
The employer failed to pay wages to four employees within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods as required by the Employment Ordinance. The employer also failed to grant the statutory holidays of National Day, Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and Chung Yeung Festival to three of them.
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 in any case 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 to imprisonment for three years.
Under the Employment Ordinance, all employees, irrespective of their length of service, are entitled to 12 statutory holidays a year. According to Section 39 of the ordinance, if an employee is required to work on a statutory holiday, his employer must arrange an alternative holiday within the 60 days before or after the statutory holiday. Any employer who fails to grant statutory holiday is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000.
Ends/Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:50
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