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The Labour Department reminds employers to grant statutory holidays to their employees.
The reminder was made as Kuen Fung Engineering Limited was fined $15,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts for failing to pay statutory holiday pay to three employees within the statutory time limit under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
During an inspection by labour inspectors in March this year, it was found that the company failed to grant the statutory holidays of Christmas Day, the first day of January, the day immediately preceding Lunar New Year's Day, the second day of Lunar New Year and the third day of Lunar New Year to three employees.
According to Section 40 of the Employment Ordinance, an employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than three months immediately preceding a statutory holiday is entitled to the holiday pay. Holiday pay should be paid to the employee not later than the day on which he is next paid his wages after that statutory holiday.
Any employer who fails to do so is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000.
Ends/Saturday, July 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 11:01
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