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Employment agencies are reminded not to overcharge job seekers. Offenders will be prosecuted and fined.
A spokesman for the Labour Department said today (July 18) that an employment agency named Prosperous Personnel Agency & Public Relations Company Limited was recently convicted at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts for overcharging a Filipino job seeker and was fined $7,000. The court also ordered the agency to pay back the excessive commission, an amount of $2,000, to the job seeker.
According to the Employment Ordinance and the Employment Agency Regulations, the operator of an employment agency is not allowed to charge any reward, payment or other advantage in respect of expenses from a job-seeker directly or indirectly in connection with having obtained, obtaining or seeking to obtain employment for him, except a commission of not more than 10% of the first month's salary received by that job seeker. The maximum fine for overcharging a job seeker is $50,000.
The spokesman stressed that under the Employment Ordinance, the Commissioner for Labour may refuse to issue or renew, or may revoke a licence if the employment agency operator has contravened any provision of Part XII of the ordinance or the Employment Agency Regulations, has been convicted of an offence involving membership of a triad society, fraud, dishonesty or extortion, or for any other reason is not a fit and proper person to operate an employment agency.
The spokesman also reminded those intending to operate employment agencies to apply for licences from the Employment Agencies Administration of the department.
The maximum fine for unlicensed operation is $50,000, according to the ordinance.
Enquiries or complaints against employment agencies concerning unlicensed operation or overcharging of commissions can be made to the Employment Agencies Administration of the department at 2852 3535 or in person at 12/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong.
End/Friday, July 18, 2003
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