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A tutorial centre, The Park Language Group Limited, was fined $10,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (March 9) for a wage offence under the Employment Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.
The employer failed to pay wages to an employee within seven days of the expiry of the wage period as required by the ordinance. The amount of wages involved was about $14,400. In addition to paying the fine, the employer was ordered to clear the owed wages with the employee via the court.
According to Section 23 of the Employment Ordinance, wages due upon expiry of the last day of the wage period shall be paid as soon as practicable, but not later than seven days.
Any employer who fails to do so wilfully and without reasonable excuse is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for one year.
The Labour Department urged employees who are owed wages to immediately report to its complaint hotline on 2815 2200.
Ends/Thursday, March 9, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:21
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