The levels of prescribed relief payment, prescribed monthly amount and prescribed monthly amount (extra) under the Employees Compensation Assistance Ordinance (ECAO) were adjusted upwards to $6,000,000, $40,000 and $40,000 respectively with effect from today (May 14).
The Employees Compensation Assistance Fund (the Fund) is administered by the Employees Compensation Assistance Fund Board in accordance with the ECAO. The Fund provides relief payments to injured employees or eligible persons who have sustained injuries caused by accidents arising out of and in the course of employment, given that the court awards an amount of common law damages to be payable by their employers, but are unable to receive their entitlements from the employers or insurers after exhausting all legal and financially viable means of recovery.
According to the ECAO, the employee (or eligible person) shall receive the full amount of the relief payment where the amount does not exceed the prescribed relief payment. Where the amount of a relief payment exceeds the prescribed relief payment, the employee (or eligible person) can receive a first payment equivalent to the prescribed relief payment, followed by monthly payments (an amount equal to the prescribed monthly amount or the monthly earnings of the employee at the time of the accident, whichever is the higher). If the employee is severely injured, he/she can receive the prescribed monthly amount (extra) at the same time.
"Increasing the levels of relief payment items can provide better protection for employees injured at work (especially those who are severely injured) and their families to sustain their living and meet their needs," a spokesman for the Labour Department said.
Follow this news feed: East Asia