The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) launches a new corporate video and a new video on complaint handling and conciliation today (31 July 2020) in order to help members of the public to have better understanding of the protected areas of the four anti-discrimination ordinances, and the work of the EOC, especially the handling of complaints and conciliation.

The new corporate video which is titled “Overcoming Barriers to an Inclusive World”, is 8 minutes long. It introduces the EOC through the implementation of four anti-discrimination ordinances, including the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance and the Race Discrimination Ordinance, complaint handling, publicity and education, training and consultancy, policy research and the provision of legal services to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunities.

The video uses four examples to illustrate common discrimination cases, showing the voices and difficulties faced by complainants. These examples include:

• An employee discriminated against on the ground of pregnancy said, “After I got pregnant, my boss started to make things difficult for me. I was sacked one day after I was back to work from maternity leave. What can I do?”
• An employee discriminated against on the ground of disability said, “My company was indeed nice to me until I sprained my lower back and had to attend regular medical check-ups. My boss started to find fault with me and finally made up a reason to sack me. Is this discrimination?”
• Family status discrimination faced by a single-parent, “I have to take care of my daughter only by myself after divorce. Even though I couldn’t work overtime, I always finished all tasks in hand before leaving to pick up my daughter. But my boss didn’t sympathise with my situation and even sacked me. I can lodge a complaint?”
• Ethnic minorities often face difficulties in renting a place, “For some reasons I couldn’t rent a flat. The agent said that many landlords are unwilling to rent their flats to our community because they worry that we can’t pay the rent. Can anyone please help me?” 

Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, Chairperson of the EOC said, “In Hong Kong, people’s rights to equal opportunities are protected by the law. If any person has been discriminated against on the grounds of disability, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family status or race within applicable fields under the legislation, the EOC will assist the complainant to resolve disputes and seek redress by enforcing the four anti-discrimination ordinances. In the new corporate video, we let the complainants express their feelings through the above-mentioned cases, explain the protection areas of the four anti-discrimination ordinances and how the EOC can help complainants and respondents resolve disputes through complaint handling and conciliation. In addition, the corporate video also introduces the structure of the EOC Board, our work in publicity and education, training and consulting services, policy research and provision of legal services.”

In addition to the corporate video, the EOC has also launched a new video on "Complaint Handling and Conciliation" to help people consider making complaints, as well as complainants and respondents who are preparing for conciliation meetings to understand the relevant procedures.

In the 15-minute video, a lighting company dismissed an employee Ka-yan with eye disease on the grounds of business downturn. The character Ka-yan was acted by Actress Hebe CHAN Yuen-ting. While chatting with her former colleague, Ka-yan discovered that the real reason for her dismissal was disability discrimination by her former employer, so she decided to go to the EOC to lodge a complaint against her former employer under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance. This video introduces how the Case Officer of the EOC analyzes and handles a complaint of disability discrimination, including interviewing the complainant, witness and respondent, conducting investigations, and narrowing the disagreement between the complainant and respondent through conciliation. Finally, they agreed to settle the dispute with the amount of compensation agreed by both parties as a remedy for resolving the complaint. 

In the video, the Case Officer of the EOC pointed out that it is desirable to reach a settlement between the complainant and respondent through conciliation. If a case is not conciliated and the complainant wish to take legal action, he/she may apply to the EOC for legal assistance. Applications for legal assistance are considered by the EOC’s Legal and Complaints Committee. Another option is for the complainant to start a civil action in the District Court.

The EOC Corporate Video titled “Overcoming Barriers to an Inclusive World” and the “Video on Complaint Handling and Conciliation” have been uploaded onto the EOC website (www.eoc.org.hk) and the EOC YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAhp3_Iu_lY&feature=youtu.be), Facebook and LinkedIn. The videos are available in Cantonese, Putonghua and English with sign language interpretation. Members of the public can watch and share the videos through the above channels.

Mr CHU concluded, "As a statutory body to enforce the anti-discrimination ordinances in Hong Kong, the EOC is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination in society. The Commission will seek to enhance its work by forging closer partnerships with different sectors of the community to mainstream equal opportunities. Our mission is to create a pluralistic, inclusive and harmonious society free from discrimination, where there is no barrier to equal opportunities.” 

Corporate Video of the Equal Opportunities Commission - Overcoming Barriers to an Inclusive World

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Equal Opportunities Commission
31 July 2020