Company fined and its director sentenced to community service for contravening Employment Ordinance

     Ageless Multi-clinic Centre Company Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay wages and defaulting on the sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) to an employee, contrary to the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty earlier at Eastern Magistrates' Courts and were sentenced respectively to a fine of $34,000 and 120 hours' community service today (July 10). Both defendants were also ordered to pay an outstanding sum of about $413,000 to the employee concerned.

     The company failed to pay an employee's wages within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods or the date of termination of employment, and also failed to pay the sum of about $610,000 awarded by the LT within 14 days in accordance with the requirements of the EO. The director concerned was prosecuted and convicted for her consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences committed by the company.

     "The judgment will disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the time limit stipulated in the EO and to pay 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.