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Retail company May's Collection Limited was fined $15,000 at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (March 28) 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 $20,000.
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/Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:33
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