《香港及中國僱傭法》

February 2010

要評論這一本著作，我相信引用澳洲前高等法院法官Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG在該書前言中的話是最適合不過，他形容這書是一本「具開創性的著作」。人們有時存在一個對香港的普遍誤解，

認為香港過去所實行的不干預政策，令她在勞

資關係法的發展方面受到妨害，而這本書正好有助消除這種誤解。即使一些讀者可能不大了解當前

的事務，但也當曉得香港如同其他進步的司法管轄區一樣，僱傭關係和它的相關法例，實乃市民生

活的非常重要部分。事實上，即使在香港這一崇尚「能做到」工作精神的社會(在世界許多其他地方，這仍是一個需要學習的功課)也經常出現勞資糾紛，尤其是在社會和經濟陷入困難的時期。近期法庭和審裁處所處理的，涉及航空駕駛員、公立醫院醫生、導遊和外籍家庭傭工(僅舉數例)的爭議, 皆為明顯的例證。

本書首先令讀者印象深刻的，是它的細心編寫和明確表達。對於了解作者本人和他如何關注細微之

處的人來說，對此會毫不意外﹔而即使是本書每一章節的附註，對可以看到作者的認真處理態度。

正如Michael Kirby法官在本書前言所述，這一本著作不論是對專門的還是一般的執業者而言，都有令他們相當感興趣的地方，而對於研究香港和內地僱傭法的學者，它也是極有價值的指引。本書

的佈局，共分為三個主要部分和十個章節。

它的第一部分，是就香港的僱傭法作一概述，對於首次涉獵這一法律範疇的人士來說，它具有很好

的參考價值。作者在完成對香港僱傭法(第一章) 的概述後，隨後於第二章運用普通法的原則和法律文據來剖析僱傭關係。第三章談到在布雷區所作的「悅目遊歷」，即是關於香港工作場所安全的法

例，而這是一個存在不少法律爭議和極不容易處理的問題。

對很多人來說，第四和第五章也許是該書的核心，當中所談的是終止僱傭和不當解僱的問題。如果

有僱員被被解僱，但又具有合法的申訴理由， 閱讀這些章節將會對他/她們大有幫助。該章節的內容，包含對一般原則的透徹分析，主要論述僱傭關係終止的議題，並佐以香港的現行判例法作為論

證，非常具有可讀性。

對我來說，本書的精華所在是它的第二部分，當中包含第六至第八章，內容與香港的僱傭問題尤其

相關。假如你有受歧視的理據(第六章)，「聘有」外籍家庭傭工(或正有打算—第七章)，又或是擁有工作場所的受保護「商業秘密」(第八章)，你便應閱讀上述這些章節，而此舉將可令你免卻許多苦惱和省回許多金錢。事實上，離職的僱員被指將僱主的所謂機密資料帶走，是香港工作環境的一

個頗常見問題；可參考該章節的例證。

本書的第三部分(包含第九和第十章，作者是 Bjorn Ahl，一位對中華人民共和國法律有專門認識的知名學者)概述了中華人民共和國僱傭法，而那是中國一個仍在發展的法律範疇，從事跨境業務的香港僱主和商界人士對這一門法律的興趣日增。作者在序言中，表示期望在閱讀這本書的人當中，

包括「需要一部關於本地僱傭法的清晰和最新論著」的香港法律執業者。對此，作者應該不會感到

失望。事實上，任何希望增加對香港僱傭法認識的人，都會有興趣閱讀這一本著作。

Warren P Ganesh事務律師(E&W, HKSAR—非執業)香港城市大學

法學院

高級特任講師

The Employment Laws of Hong Kong and China

February 2010

In reviewing this excellent work, I can do little better than quote from the book’s foreword by the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG (a former Justice of the High Court of Australia): a ‘trail-blazing work’. A sometimes common misconception about Hong Kong is that its laissez-faire history has been at the expense of, inter alia, laws governing the relationship between employers and employees. The book helps put that misconception to rest. Any reader remotely up-todate with current affairs in Hong Kong will know that the employment relationship and the laws that govern it are just as much an essential part of the lives of its inhabitants as they are in any other sensible jurisdiction. Indeed, even with Hong Kong’s ‘can do’ work ethos (a salutary lesson still to many other places in the world), employment related grievances are not uncommon and more so in challenging economic and social times; witness the recent court or tribunal disputes involving airline pilots, the doctors in public hospitals, tour guides and foreign domestic helpers (to name but a few).

The first thing that strikes the reader about this work is that it is well-written and well presented. This is not altogether surprising to anyone who knows the author and his attention to detail; even down to the care taken with individual chapter endnotes.

As the learned former judge writes in his foreword, this work will be of considerable interest to both the specialist and the general practitioner. Students of Hong Kong and PRC employment laws will also find it an invaluable guide. The book is conveniently laid out in three main parts and 10 chapters.

Part 1 contains an overview of Hong Kong’s employment laws that will be of particular interest to those foraying into this area of the law for the first time. After an overview of Hong Kong’s employment laws (Chapter 1), the author then dissects the indicia of the employment relationship with its common law principles and statutory instruments (Chapter 2). By no means an easy task and an issue that has given rise to much legal debate, Chapter 3 contains an ‘easy on the eye tour’ of the minefield that is Hong Kong’s workplace safety laws.

The reader is then confronted by Chapters 4 and 5, which for many may be the heart of the book; namely, termination of employment and wrongful dismissal respectively. Any dismissed employee with a legitimate grievance (or more likely his/her adviser) would do well to read these chapters. They contain a thorough and readable account of the general principles underpinning the termination of an employment relationship, supported by current Hong Kong case law.

For this reviewer, one of the gems of the book is Part 2, containing Chapters 6 to 8, on employment issues of particular interest to Hong Kong. If you ever have grounds to allege discrimination (Chapter 6), ‘employ’ a foreign domestic helper(or are thinking of doing so – Chapter 7) or have ‘trade secrets’ to protect at the workplace (Chapter 8), you would be well advised to read these chapters; doing so might save you much grief and money. Indeed, allegedly errant ex-employees who run off with employers’ so-called confidential inf ormation appear to be something of a perennial feature of the Hong Kong workplace; witness the cases on point.

Part 3 of the book (containing Chapters 9 and 10 and authored by Bjorn Ahl, an impressive academic with PRC law expertise) takes the reader through an overview of the PRC employment laws; a developing body of law of increasing interest to Hong Kong employers and business folk who conduct commercial affairs over the border.

In his preface, the author states his intention that the book finds an audience among legal practitioners in Hong Kong who ‘find themselves in need of a clear and up-to-date exposition of local employment law.’ The author should not be disappointed. Indeed, his book should be of interest to anyone entering the maze that is Hong Kong’s employment related laws.

Warren P GaneshSolicitor (E&W, HKSAR – not in practice)Senior Teaching FellowSchool of LawCity University of Hong Kong