Company and manager sentenced to fine and community service for wage offences and default on Labour Tribunal awarded payment
Eagle Development (Holdings) Company Limited and its manager were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay wages to an employee and defaulting on a sum awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) as required by the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its manager earlier pleaded guilty at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts and were sentenced respectively to a fine of $5,000 and 120 hours' community service today (December 7). Both defendants were ordered to pay a sum of about $42,000 via the court to the employee.
The company failed to pay an employee wages within seven days after the expiry of the last day of wage periods and termination of employment. The company also failed to pay the employee the awarded sum of about $42,000 in total within 14 days after the date set out by the terms of the LT award in accordance with the EO. The manager concerned 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 companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the time limit stipulated in the EO and the awarded sums according to the terms of the awards of the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board. The LD will not tolerate these offences and will continue to make dedicated efforts in enforcing the EO and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," a spokesman for the LD said.