Employment Support Scheme ("ESS") - Official website now available

The official website can be found here. Link to online application will be available for use from 25 May 2020 (7:00 am) next Monday to 14 Jun 2020.

During and after the vetting of applications, the ESS Secretariat and/or its processing agent will vet and conduct sample verification of the information submitted by employers, and conduct on-site checking at those employers’ offices.

List of employers who have received subsidies, the total number of employees benefited and the amount of subsidies, will likely be made public to enable monitoring by employees concerned and the society. If employers fail to use all the wage subsidies to pay wages of their employees in the same month, Government will claw back the unspent balance of the subsidies.

If the number of employees on the payroll in any one month of the subsidy period (ie Jun, Jul and Aug 2020 for first trench of payment) is less than the number of employees (whether paid or unpaid) in Mar 2020, employers will have to pay a penalty to the Government. You may find out more details from the said website.

Frances Chan
19 May 2020