The Equal Opportunities Commission’s revised Code of Practice on Employment under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (the Code) took effect today (3 June 2011) upon the gazettal of the amendment resolution passed by the Legislative Council.

The revised Code aims to give practical guidance to good management practices that will help eliminate disability discrimination and harassment in the employment field.

Recognizing the changes in the nature and scope of complaints as well as the developments in local and overseas jurisprudence, the EOC has revised the Code based on the enforcement experiences accumulated over a decade in order to ensure that it remains a useful tool for employers, employees, human resource practitioners and stakeholders.

The Commission conducted wide public consultation from 8 April to 8 July 2010, and took into account the views and comments received from individuals, employees’ unions, human rights and community organizations, disability NGOs, employers’ groups, government departments, public bodies and professional associations.

Chairperson of the EOC, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong said, “The revised Code is generally welcome as it provides a better explanation of legal terminologies and concepts, contains abundant case illustrations, provides practical guidance and should foster better employer-employee relationship.”

“In the field of employment, the issue of discrimination is not just about compliance with the law but also on how to promote positive work environment by implementing equal opportunity policies,” said Mr. LAM.

He added, “We would like to thank the Legislative Council’s Subcommittee and all the stakeholders for their invaluable input to improve the Code. We will update it in time to keep it current. An easy-read guide will also be prepared for potential users.”

The revised Code will be published in eight languages, namely Chinese, English, Urdu, Nepali, Tagalog, Thai, Hindi and Indonesian. The full text of the Code (in Chinese and English) is now available on the EOC website. Members of the public can call the EOC hotline at 2511-8211 to make enquiries.

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Equal Opportunities Commission
3 June 2011