HK rules out legally mandated work stoppages during severe weather

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said legislating mandatory work suspensions during severe weather or "extreme conditions" would be inappropriate, arguing that such a move would hinder the maintenance of effective social operations, delay the return to normalcy, and reduce flexibility in work arrangements between employers and employees.

Responding to lawmakers' inquiries in the Legislative Council on Thursday, Sun explained that the diverse nature of various industries, their operational models, and organizational manpower deployments mean that whether employees need to return to the workplace or remain on standby depends on the actual circumstances.

He said many emergency services and those critical to public livelihood must continue operating during adverse weather, requiring flexible adjustments.

Furthermore, Sun pointed out that different industries and job types are interconnected through supply chains, making it unfeasible to determine which services are essential based solely on the general nature of any single sector.

“It is operationally impracticable to adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach in specifying which job categories and types of ‘designated staff’ should return to their workplaces to report for duty,” he said.

The issue was raised by Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung, who noted that during the recent Typhoon Signal No. 8 and 10, many businesses remained open, and employees who risked traveling to work might not have received the duty and transportation allowances suggested under official guidelines.

He questioned how the government would prevent such unfair situations.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Jimmy Ng Wing-ka expressed concern that legally mandating a complete work stoppage could have varying impacts across different sectors.

He cited the example of MTR staff, in which the general public would be left without critical service updates if they were required to stop working during a typhoon.

In his response, the labor chief reiterated that the existing code of practice provides clear guiding principles.

He encouraged employers and employees to discuss arrangements for severe weather proactively, noting that since Hong Kong experiences tropical cyclones and heavy rain annually, such consultations should be routine.

Regarding "designated staff," Sun stressed that definitions must consider the specific needs of each industry, balancing employee protection with the necessary flexibility to keep society functioning effectively.

(Marco Lam)