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Food Scope Limited trading as Crescent Boulangerie Et Cafe was fined $20,000 at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (August 11) for wage offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
The employer failed to pay wages to four employees within seven days of the expiry of the wage period as required by the ordinance. The amount of wages involved was about $30,000. The outstanding wages had been paid to the employees before the commencement of the trial.
According to Section 23 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the last day of the wage period must be paid as soon as practicable, but not later than seven days.
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.
The Labour Department urged employees who are owed wages to call its complaint hotline, 2815 2200.
Ends/Friday, August 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:47
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