ENG-2012 — Page 151

Employment

employment agencies, monitor and investigate complaints, and prosecute. The office issued 2,346 employment agency licences and revoked two during the year.

Policy Study on Standard Working Hours

In November, the Labour Department released its report of the Policy Study on Standard Working Hours, covering the systems and experience of other places in regulating working hours, the latest working hours statistics of Hong Kong employees in various sectors, and an assessment of the possible impact of introducing standard working hours in Hong Kong. The study will provide a good foundation for public discussion.

Entry of Non-locals for Employment

Employment of Professionals

People who possess special skills, knowledge or experience of value to Hong Kong may apply to take up employment in Hong Kong if they have secured a job that cannot be filled readily by local workers and receive a remuneration package broadly commensurate with those in the market. In 2012, 36,730 people from more than 100 countries or territories were admitted for employment in this way. Business people and entrepreneurs who can make a substantial contribution to the economy are also welcome to bring capital and expertise to Hong Kong.

Employment of Non-local Students

Non-local graduates of full-time locally-accredited degree or higher level studies may apply to stay in Hong Kong for one year after graduation to take up employment. Those who have previously obtained a degree or higher qualification in a full-time and locally-accredited programme in Hong Kong may also apply to return to Hong Kong for employment if the job they have secured is at a level normally taken up by degree-holders and remunerated at market

rates.

Supplementary Labour Scheme

Under the Supplementary Labour Scheme, employers may apply to import workers to fill vacancies at technician level or below. The Government's policy on labour importation is based on two principles:

⚫ local workers must be given priority in filling job vacancies available in the job market;

and

·

employers who are genuinely unable to recruit local workers to fill their vacancies should be allowed to import workers.

All applications made under the scheme are considered on a case-by-case basis. To ensure priority of employment for local workers, employers must undertake a four-week open recruitment for each application before it goes to the Labour Advisory Board for consideration. and to the Government for a decision. The requirements of open recruitment are: advertising in newspapers, job-matching by the Labour Department and, if appropriate, organising retraining courses for local workers with the assistance of the Employees Retraining Board.

As at December 2012, 2,415 imported workers were working in Hong Kong under the scheme.

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