Restaurant barred from hiring non-local workers after providing false info in application

Waso Cafe in Prince Edward has been barred from hiring non-local workers after the Labour Department found it provided false information in its application to bring in servers, junior cooks, and dishwashers. The department terminated the restaurant's application under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) and served it an administrative sanction.

The ESLS, introduced in 2023 to address the city's manpower shortage, allows for the hiring of non-local workers, primarily from mainland China. An investigation established that Waso Cafe "breached the requirements under the ESLS during the local recruitment exercise by providing false information" to the government.

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An administrative sanction is thus imposed.

A department spokesperson stated that employers must "strictly comply with the scheme requirements, including according priority to employing suitable local workers." Sanctions under the scheme can also lead to the withdrawal of previous hiring approvals.

This sanction follows tighter rules implemented in June for the non-local labor scheme in the food and beverage sector. Employers now must maintain a stricter staffing ratio of three local employees for every imported worker, an increase from the previous 2:1 ratio. The roles affected include cooks, waiters, and bar supervisors. Imported laborers must still receive a wage no less than the median monthly salary for their positions.

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Employers applying for the importation of workers under the ESLS should strictly comply with the scheme requirements, including according priority to employing suitable local workers.