LD urges employers and employees to make prior work arrangements for typhoons and rainstorms

     As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (T8) will soon be in force, the Labour Department (LD) today (September 1) reminded employers to make work arrangements for staff during and after tropical cyclone and rainstorm warnings, including arrangements on reporting for duty, release from work, resumption of work and work from home (if applicable). 

     An LD spokesman said, "In drawing up and implementing the work arrangements, apart from factors such as operational needs of establishments, employers should give prime consideration to employees' safety and the feasibility for employees to travel to and from their workplaces. Employers should also give consideration as much as possible to the different situations faced by individual employees, such as their place of residence and the road and traffic conditions in the vicinity, and adopt a sympathetic and flexible approach with due regard to their actual difficulties and needs. For example, employers may permit employees who have difficulties in returning to workplaces to work from home or allow more time for them to report for duty and resume work.

     "Under special situations, if it is necessary for employees to report for duty at workplaces under adverse weather conditions, employers should work out arrangements for their transportation, safety, meal, rest place and more. If public transport services are suspended or limited when T8 or higher is in force, employers should provide safe transport services for employees travelling to and from workplaces, or grant them an extra travelling allowance."

     The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance.

     The LD has published the "Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and Rainstorms", which provides a reference for employers and employees on the work and resumption of work arrangements in the event of the Government making the post-super typhoon "extreme conditions" announcement, as well as the major principles, the framework, the reference guidelines and information on relevant legislation for reference in drawing up the work arrangements under adverse weather conditions. 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).