The Labour Department has barred Shengshi Investment Management Co. Ltd. and Ho Fu Kee Noodles (Tsuen Wan) Ltd. from submitting new applications under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) for two years after investigators found serious recruitment breaches. The administrative sanctions, announced on October 16, took retroactive effect on October 12. Both companies had sought to import dishwashers, a category allowed under the ESLS only if employers can prove that no suitable local candidates are available. The department found that neither employer hired an eligible job seeker without reasonable cause and that Shengshi had filed false local-recruitment results and added unapproved job requirements. Under ESLS rules, the Labour Department can terminate ongoing applications and bar future ones, and it may also withdraw existing approvals. Officials warned that providing false information or bypassing local-hire obligations could trigger criminal prosecution in addition to administrative penalties. The case highlights the growing scrutiny on how Hong Kong businesses use import-labour quotas at a time when service industries are grappling with staff shortages. HR managers are being urged to document every step of local recruitment campaigns—advert placements, interview records, rejection reasons—to avoid sanctions that could derail expansion plans. Sector groups say the ruling serves as a caution to food-and-beverage operators eyeing overseas hires for the festive season and may prompt companies to revisit wage offers and working-hour flexibility to attract local talent first.
Source: Hong Kong News TV
