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Company fined and director sentenced to community service for wage offences and default on Labour Tribunal Award
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     DMagazine (China) Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay its employees wages/termination payments under the Employment Ordinance (EO), and defaulting on the sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT). The defendants pleaded guilty at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts and were sentenced today (December 8). The company was fined a total of $272,000 while the director was sentenced to 240 hours' community service.  
 
     The company failed to pay wages, payment in lieu of notice, end-of-year payment and annual leave pay to four employees within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods and termination of employment, as required by the EO. Also, the company failed to pay these four employees the awarded sum of about $1.35 million in total within 14 days after the payment date specified in the LT award.
 
     The director was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.
 
     "The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers and responsible officers of limited companies that they have to pay wages and termination payments to employees within the time limit in accordance with the EO as well as the awarded sums according to the terms of the awards issued by the LT. Failure to effect payment of wages as required by the EO and default on awarded sums ordered by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board are serious offences. We will continue to make dedicated efforts in enforcing the EO and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," a spokesman for the LD said.
 
     "If the above offences are committed with the consent, connivance or neglect of the responsible officers of a company, such officers will be liable for the offences alike. The LD will bring employers and responsible officers of limited companies in contravention of the law to justice," the spokesman added.
 
Ends/Friday, December 8, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:00
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