Company and directors fined and sentenced to suspended imprisonment for wage offences and default on Labour Tribunal Award

     Can Build Management Limited and its two directors were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay wages to employees and defaulting on the sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT). The company and its directors earlier pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistrates' Courts and were sentenced today (December 28). The company was fined a total of $610,000, while its directors were each fined $610,000 and sentenced to three months' imprisonment suspended for three years.

     The company failed to pay five employees the awarded sum totalling about $1,500,000 within 14 days after the date set out by the terms of the LT award in accordance with the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company also failed to pay one employee her wages and payment in lieu of notice within seven days after the termination of employment. The two directors were convicted for their consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.  

     "The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers 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 Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board," a spokesman for the LD said.

      "The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," the spokesman added.