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The Labour Department has urged employers and employees to devise work arrangements as early as possible in view of the special traffic and transport measures or possible traffic disruptions during the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference (HKMC) of the World Trade Organization.
A spokesman for the Labour Department said today (December 6) that employers and employees should take note of the special traffic arrangements implemented by the Transport Department during HKMC from December 13 to 18.
To avoid unnecessary disputes, employers should reach an agreement with employees about prior work arrangements and contingency measures, such as arranging employees to report for duty and get off work in batches or allowing employees take annual leave.
"If employees cannot report for duty as scheduled, they should inform their supervisors immediately. Employers should provide employees with a list of their supervisors and telephone numbers in advance for emergency purpose.
"If employees are late or cannot come back to work owing to traffic jams or protests, employers should be considerate and adopt a flexible approach towards the employees," he said.
The spokesman said employers should not deduct wages of employees who were late for work or absent from duty in these special circumstances. Neither should employers dismiss these employees summarily or conduct disciplinary action against them.
"Employers should thoroughly understand their cause of being late for work or absence from duty and consider carefully each case on its merits," he stressed.
Under the Employment Ordinance, summary dismissal is a serious disciplinary action. It should only be applied to cases where an employee has committed very serious misconduct or fails to improve himself after the employer's repeated warnings.
Employers and employees are welcome to call the Labour Department's hotline on 2717 1771 or approach the department's Labour Relations Division offices in person for enquiries.
Ends/Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:56
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