Attention TV/Radio Announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has annou… read more
Correctional Services officers stopped a male remand person in custody committing self-harm at Stanley Prison today (July 19). At 00.36am today, the 35-year-old person in custody was found cutting hi… read more
The Labour Department (LD) today (July 19) reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for staff during and after rainstorms.
“To avoid disputes and confusion, employers should make prior work arrangements for staff and contingency measures during and after rainstorms,” an LD spokesman said.
“In working out and enforcing the arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees’ safety both in the workplace and during their journeys to and from work, and adopt a flexible approach. Whenever possible, they should consult their staff.”
The work arrangements should cover the following matters:
* Whether employees are required to report for duty when different rainstorm warnings are issued;
* How wages and allowances will be calculated for staff who are required to report for duty, as well as those who are late for work or absent from work during rainstorms;
* For employees who are required to travel to and from workplaces during rainstorms, whether transport facilities will be provided for them and, if so, the arrangements; and
* The time for staff who have not reported for duty to resume work after a rainstorm warning is cancelled, and other relevant arrangements as well as contingency measures.
“Employers should make realistic assessments of the requirements for staff and require only absolutely essential staff to report for duty in adverse weather conditions. If an Amber, Red or Black Rainstorm Warning is issued during working hours, employees working indoors should remain on duty as usual and stay where they are unless it is dangerous to do so. Supervisors of employees working outdoors in exposed areas should suspend outdoor duties as soon as practicable. They should arrange for their employees to take shelter temporarily and resume duty when weather conditions permit. When the Black Rainstorm Warning is issued, those employees should not resume duty until the warning is lowered and weather conditions permit. If the Black Rainstorm Warning remains in force at the end of working hours, for safety reasons, employers should provide employees with an area in the workplace as temporary shelter for them to stay if they want to.
“If possible, employers should provide transport services for employees who are still required to travel to and from workplaces when the Black Rainstorm Warning is in force, or give them a special travelling allowance as encouragement.
“For staff who have practical difficulties in resuming work on time upon cancellation of a rainstorm warning, employers should give due consideration to the circumstances of individual employees and handle each case flexibly.
“As rainstorms are natural occurrences that cannot be avoided, employers should not deduct wages of employees who are absent from or late for work because of inclement weather. Neither should employers dismiss an employee summarily based on these grounds,” he said.
The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance.
Employers should not deduct the annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days employees are entitled to under the Employment Ordinance so as to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from employees’ failure to report for duty upon the announcement of a Black Rainstorm Warning. An employer who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with relevant provisions under the Employment Ordinance is liable to prosecution.
Employers should also note that they have an obligation to maintain a safe workplace for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance.
“If employees are required to work in times of rainstorms, employers should ensure that the risks at work are properly controlled and reduced to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable,” the spokesman said.
Under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for deaths or injury incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residence to their workplace, or from their workplace back to their residence after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above or a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning is in force.
To provide practical guidelines and samples of work arrangements for the reference of employers and employees, the LD has issued the booklet “Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms”. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department’s webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf). read more
The Transport Department (TD) today (July 19) reminded the public that to facilitate the tram track renewal works at King’s Road, the following temporary traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented from about 10am next Monday (July 22) to 10am on August 31:
(A) Traffic lane closures
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The following traffic lanes will be temporarily closed during the periods specified below:
* From about 10am on July 22 to 9.59am on August 2: a part of left lane of Tong Shui Road southbound near King’s Road.
* From about 10am on August 2 to 10am on August 31: a part of right lane of Tong Shui Road southbound near King’s Road.
(B) Banning of turning movement
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All vehicles exceeding 10 metres in length will be temporarily prohibited from turning right from King’s Road eastbound onto Tong Shui Road.
(C) Traffic diversion
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Vehicles exceeding 10 metres in length on King’s Road eastbound heading for Victoria Park Road will be diverted via Tsing Fung Street Flyover.
(D) Bus diversion
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To facilitate the above works, New World First Bus route No. 18X, Citybus route Nos. 962C, 969C, A12 and NA12, as well as Cross-Harbour Tunnel route Nos. 102P and 110 will be diverted via the Tsing Fung Street Flyover starting from their first departures on July 22 until 10am on August 31, before resuming their original routings.
Appropriate traffic signs will be erected on-site to guide motorists. The public transport operators will display notices to advise passengers of the above temporary arrangements. The TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of the above road sections will be relatively busy. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience in case of traffic congestion. Members of the public are advised to be alert to the latest traffic news or check the department’s website (www.td.gov.hk). read more
As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to pr… read more