Licences of employment agencies revoked
2023-05-05
The Labour Department (LD) today (May 5) 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 (the Code) at all times.
The LD has revoked the EA licences of Happy Joy Employment Training Center (Happy Joy) and Mission Employment Agency Limited (Mission) located in Tai Wai and Hung Hom respectively. The licence of Happy Joy was revoked because it failed to meet the requirement of the Code concerning withholding the passport of a job-seeker, and that its licensee was not a fit and proper person to operate an EA.
The licence of Mission was revoked due to its failure to meet the requirements set out in the Code in various aspects, including failing to exercise due diligence in checking the accuracy of the information provided by job-seekers; failing to ensure that the candidates offered to employers are available for filling the vacancy at the time of accepting payment of service fees from employers; and failing to ensure that any information that is made available to employers is consistent with the facts made known to it.
Under sections 53(1)(c)(iva) and 53(1)(c)(v) of the Employment Ordinance (EO), the Commissioner for Labour (the Commissioner) may revoke the licence of an EA if she is satisfied that the licensee concerned has not complied with the Code, or the licensee concerned is not a fit and proper person to operate the EA.
"The Code sets out the salient legal requirements that EA operators must observe in operating their business, as well as the standards which the Commissioner expects from EAs. The EO stipulates that the Commissioner may refuse to issue or renew a licence, or may revoke a licence, if she is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee of an EA, or a related person of or an individual employed by the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee, has contravened any provision of Part XII or any regulation made under section 62 of the EO, such as overcharging job seekers or operating an EA without a licence, or has not complied with the Code issued under section 62A(1) of the EO," a spokesman for the LD said.
These are the first two cases of revocation of an EA licence in 2023.
For enquiries about matters related to EAs or complaints about malpractices, please call the Employment Agencies Administration of the LD at 2115 3667, or visit its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.
Ends/Friday, May 5, 2023
