Previous Story
Labor sanctions employer for late work applications
|
Posted on Nov 30 2004
The Department of Labor has sanctioned a garment company for missing the deadline for filing of work permit applications for seven employees.
Labor hearing officer Herbert D. Soll ordered La Mode Inc. to pay $515 for the cumulative days of delinquency in filing the seven applications, as he instructed the Division of Labor to resume processing the applications.
Soll, however, said no action will be taken on the applications until La Mode presents proof that it has settled the fine.
Records showed that the Labor director denied the applications filed by La Mode for the seven employees on dates between May 29 and Aug. 30, 2004, because they were untimely filed and missing certain required documents.
At the hearing of the employer’s appeal, company agent Pat Concepcion explained that several of the previous year’s applications had not been approved in addition to those from the current year.
She also explained the reason for the previous denial. A Labor representative confirmed that the company was not at fault in the earlier omissions.
On the other hand, the late and deficient applications filed this year for all seven employees was the result of the departure of a company administrative assistant who failed to file timely and could not be found to explain where she had put the applications after she left her post and returned to her country of origin.
La Mode indicated that it accepts responsibility for the late filing. The company also said it is now ready to complete all the requirements for the applications.
The department agreed to modify the denial order to allow the employer time to complete the applications.
Soll said the 2004 applications for all seven employees must be completed within 30 days.
Further, he ordered that the unprocessed 2003 applications for four of the employees be processed.
