They'd already brought in overseas workers when the false numbers came to light
A laundry company and a catering firm gave regulators false headcount data while importing overseas workers under Hong Kong's labour scheme.
Hong Kong's Labour Department announced on October 27, 2026 that it had sanctioned Pionier Laundry Limited and Coucou (HK) Catering Management Company Limited for breaching requirements under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS). The scheme allows employers to bring in workers from outside Hong Kong when they cannot fill roles locally.
Both companies provided the Labour Department with false information about how many full-time local employees they had. Both also failed to continuously maintain the scheme's required 2:1 manning ratio - meaning for every imported worker, an employer must have at least two full-time local staff.
The breaches were not hypothetical. According to the Labour Department, both companies had already imported workers under the ESLS when the false headcount data was established.
The consequences took effect immediately. The Labour Department terminated all pending ESLS applications from both companies and barred them from submitting any new applications under the scheme for one year.
A Labour Department spokesman stated that employers "should strictly comply with the scheme requirements, including according priority to employing suitable local workers."
The spokesman added that the ESLS provides for a range of sanctions...
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