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Yu Kee Food Company Limited was fined $60,000 at Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (January 13) for committing wage payment offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was enforced by the Labour Department.
The employer failed to pay wages (total amount of wages involved was about $20,000) to two employees within seven days of the expiry of the wage period and termination of employment, as required by the Employment Ordinance.
According to Section 23 and 25 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the last day of the wage period and upon termination of employment shall be paid as soon as practicable but in any case not later than seven days thereafter. A spokesman for the Labour Department stressed that any employer who fails to do so willfully and without reasonable excuse is liable to a maximum fine of $350,000 and imprisonment for three years.
Employees who are owed wages should report to the Labour Department's complaints hotline on 2815 2200.
Ends/Thursday, January 13, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:01
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