A spokesman for the Labour Department (LD) today (May 28) reminded operators of employment agencies (EAs) to conduct their business in compliance with the law and the requirements of the Code of Practice for EAs at all times.
The LD has revoked the licence of Fardiansyah International Limited, an EA located in Yau Ma Tei, which failed to meet the standards set out in the Code in various aspects, including having its management fail to closely supervise their staff in relation to the provision of job-placement services, failing to draw up service agreements with foreign domestic helpers (FDHs), failing to send a copy of the completed standard employment contract (SEC) to FDHs as soon as practicable, failing to return the passport directly to the job seeker without delay upon obtaining the employment or relevant visa for the job seeker concerned, and failing to provide FDHs with a copy of the sample SEC in their mother language.
Under section 53(1)(c)(iva) of the Employment Ordinance (EO), the Commissioner for Labour may revoke the licence of an EA if he is satisfied that the licensee concerned has not complied with the Code.
The spokesman said, "The Code sets out the salient legal requirements that EA operators must observe in operating their business, as well as the minimum standards which the Commissioner expects of EAs. The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, which came into effect on February 9, 2018, further empowered the Commissioner to refuse to issue or renew a licence, or to revoke a licence, if the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee, or a related person of or an individual employed by the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee, has contravened Part XII of the EO, such as overcharging job seekers, or if he or she has not complied with the Code."
This is the first revocation of an EA licence in 2019. In 2018, there were eight cases of revocation/refusal of renewal of EA licences.
For enquiries or complaints about malpractices of EAs, please call the LD's Employment Agencies Administration at 2115 3667, or visit its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.
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