Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Labour Department (LD) today (June 8) reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for employees during and after rainstorm warnings and extreme conditions as early as possible. These arrangements not only can ensure the safety of employees and smooth operation of organisations, but also are conducive to maintaining good labour relations.
Formulate work arrangements* arrangements in respect of early release from work;
* arrangements in respect of work resumption (e.g. the number of hours within which employees should resume duty after the relevant warning signal is cancelled or when extreme conditions come to an end, and when safety and traffic conditions allow);
* arrangements in respect of remote work (if applicable);
*arrangements regarding wages and allowances (e.g. calculation of wages and allowances in respect of reporting for duty); and
* arrangements for staff required to report for duty in times of adverse weather or extreme conditions.
Employers have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe working environment for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance. If employees are required to work in times of tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings or extreme conditions, employers should ensure that the risks at work are reduced as far as reasonably practicable. Moreover, under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residence to their workplace, or from their workplace back to their residence after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force.