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S & S Cleaning Company Limited was fined $20,000 at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (September 19) for wage offences under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
The company is a government service contractor. During a routine inspection by labour inspectors in May this year, it was found that the employer failed to pay wages to two employees within seven days of the expiry of the wage period. The amount of wages involved was about $22,500.
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 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 also urged employees who were owed wages to immediately report to its complaint hotline on 2815 2200.
Ends/Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:46
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