Company and director fined and sentenced to suspended imprisonment for contravening Employment Ordinance

     Serisys Solutions Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay employees wages, annual leave pay and sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT), contrary to the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (September 17). The company was fined $101,000, whereas the director was fined $62,000 and sentenced to two months' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. The company and its director were also ordered to pay the employees concerned the total outstanding sum of about $726,000.

     The company failed to pay three employees wages and/or annual leave pay as required by the EO. The company also failed to pay the three employees the sum of about $726,000 awarded by the LT within 14 days after the due date. The director was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.

     "The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages and termination payments to employees within the time limit stipulated in the EO and the awarded sums according to the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board," a spokesman for the LD said.
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     "The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," the spokesman added.