The Labour Department (LD) today (September 6) reminded employers to make practical and reasonable work arrangements for employees after the cancellation of tropical cyclone warnings or rainstorm warnings, with due consideration to the road and traffic conditions and other factors, and make flexible arrangements for staff to resume work or work remotely (if applicable). This will help maintain good labour-management relations, and ensure the safety of employees as well as the smooth operation of organisations.
      
     "For staff who have genuine difficulties in resuming work on time upon cancellation of a tropical cyclone or rainstorm warning, employers should be sympathetic and handle each case flexibly. For example, employers may allow employees to resume work in stages, permit employees who have difficulties in returning to workplaces to work remotely (if applicable) or allow more time for them to report for duty and resume work," an LD spokesman said.
      
     The spokesman reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Employees' Compensation Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance.
      
     "As natural calamities cannot be avoided, for employees who are not able to report for duty or resume duty on time due to adverse weather or 'extreme conditions', employers should neither deduct their wages, good attendance bonus or allowances, nor reduce employees' entitlement to annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days under the Employment Ordinance, or ask for additional hours of work from employees to compensate for the loss of working hours when they are unable to report for duty," the spokesman said.
      
     Employers should note that they have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe working environment for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance. 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" is in force.
      
     The LD has published the "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'", which provides the major principles, reference guidelines and information on relevant legislation on making work arrangements for the reference of employers and employees. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department's webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf).

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals:

     "With the change to Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3, the Social Welfare Department advises members of the public not to take their children or family members to child care centres, centres providing after school care programmes, elderly services centres or day rehabilitation units including sheltered workshops, integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres, integrated vocational training centres and day activity centres. These centres will resume normal service in two hours after the cancellation of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 to serve those whose families cannot provide alternative care for them, if the weather and conditions permit. Members of the public who have the need for the services mentioned may contact the centres or service units concerned in advance."

     The Transport Department (TD) today (September 6) announced that as the Gale or Storm Signal No.8 is cancelled, services of the Driving Test Appointment Office, the Licensing Offices, the Public Vehicles Unit, the Driving-offence Points Office, the Vehicle Inspection & Records Unit and the Cross Boundary Unit will resume in about two hours upon its cancellation.
 
     Services of the Driving Test Centres, the Written Test Centre and the Government Vehicle Examination Centres will continue to be suspended today. Candidates scheduled for driving tests (including road tests and written tests) today will be individually informed of the rescheduled test appointment. Members of the public with their vehicle examinations scheduled for today can make a new appointment after the Vehicle Examination Centres reopen.
 
     Besides, while the No.8 Gale or Storm Signal No.8 is in force or within two hours after its cancellation, appointments of driving licence-related services, renewal of vehicle licence, transfer of vehicle ownership, application for a duplicate vehicle registration document/duplicate vehicle licence, an international driving permit, retention, transfer or assignment of vehicle registration mark will be cancelled. Applicants who have made appointments may proceed to the Licensing Offices to submit their applications during service hours (9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday) on or before September 13 without the need to make another appointment.

     â€‹The Immigration Department announced that members of the public who had booked appointments but were unable to apply for identity cards at the Registration of Persons (ROP) Offices as scheduled due to the hoisting of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 may approach the relevant ROP Offices during their relevant service hours on any subsequent working days for applications without the need to make a new appointment. It is not necessary to call for seeking confirmation on the above arrangement. Applicants should bring along the appointment slip, if available, or quote the telephone appointment reference code for the staff concerned to follow up. Subject to the situation of the day, the waiting time for processing may be longer.

     Please refer to the Annex for the working hours and scope of services provided at ROP Offices.

     Police today (September 6) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Kwai Chung.

     Lau Siu-hung, aged 58, went missing after he left his residence in Kwai Shing East Estate yesterday (September 5) morning. His family then made a report to Police.

     He is about 1.5 metres tall, 45 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short grey and white hair. He was last seen wearing a light blue short-sleeved T-shirt, blue jeans and white sports shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1176 or 5239 7701 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.