Hong Kong’s Commissioner for Labour has cancelled the licence of an employment agency called Talent Kenya Company Limited for charging two foreign domestic workers an excessive commission.

In 2019, the two foreign domestic workers made a complaint to the Employment Agencies Administration of the Labour Department against Talent Kenya Company Limited for charging them an excessive commission. 

An investigation found sufficient evidence that a staff member of the employment agency had overcharged the two workers and the Labour Department initiated a prosecution against the staff member. After a trial, the staff member was convicted of overcharging and was sentenced to a fine of HKD 8,000 (USD 1,019) on 31 May 2021, at Shatin Magistrates' Courts. The staff member then filed an appeal against the conviction and the appeal was dismissed by the High Court on 6 September 2022.

The Labour Department last week received a letter from the agency returning the employment agency licence to the Labour Department upon its closing of business on 4 September with the Commissioner also cancelling their licence.