A court has ordered that excessive fees charged by an employment agency should be repaid to two migrant workers. Photo: Asia Times
A court has ordered that excessive fees charged by an employment agency should be repaid to two migrant workers. Photo: Asia Times

An employment agency was fined in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday after being convicted of overcharging two domestic workers.

The court fined Chun Hing Agency in Kowloon’s Sham Shui Po a total of HK$16,600 (US$2,127) and ordered the agency to refund the excessive placement fee – HK$8,300 – to the workers, according to a government release.

The case was the seventh conviction under Part XII of the Employment Ordinance.

The Labour Department acted after receiving a complaint from two domestic workers in August, which accused Chun Hing of overcharging them.

The workers agreed to assist in the investigation, so the department was able to get sufficient evidence, which showed the agency had collected excessive placement fees from the workers.

Under the law employment agencies are not allowed to collect fees or charges from job-seekers that amount to more than 10% of the worker’s first month’s salary upon successful placement.

Chun Hing’s license was revoked by the Labour Department in September when it was found to have withheld passports from domestic workers without reasonable excuse.

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