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Labour Officer (Prosecutions), Mrs Tonia Leung, said under the Employment Ordinance, an employer could deduct wages from his employee only under the following circumstances :-

(a) if the employee is absent from work, the deductions should be proportionate to the period of absence;

(b) if the employee damages or loses the employer's goods, equipment or property, the maximum deduction for each occasion is $300 and the total of such deductions shall not exceed one quarter of the wages payable to the employee for that wage period;

(c) if the employer supplies food and accommodation to the employee;

(d) the employer can recover any advanced or over- paid wages to the employee provided that the total of such deductions shall not exceed one quarter of the wages payable to the employee for that wage period; and

any

(e) the employer can recover, with the employee's written consent, loan made to the employee.

"Except with the approval in writing of the Commissioner for Labour, the total of all deductions, excluding those for absence from work, made in any one wage period must not exceed half of the wages payable for that period," Mrs Leung added.

The maximum penalty for illegal deduction of wages is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year.

End/Sunday, April 16, 1995