Watchdog looking into dumpling shop in Hong Kong over controversial job ad

Hong Kong’s equality watchdog is reviewing accusations that a mainland Chinese dumpling shop breached discrimination laws after it posted a hiring notice prioritising female candidates from Guangdong province.

The Equal Opportunities Commission said on Wednesday that it was “concerned” about a recruitment notice placed outside the Yuan Ji Yun Jiao dumpling shop in Prince Edward seeking women workers from the neighbouring Cantonese-speaking province.

The watchdog said employers could not choose to hire only men or women unless the job required the specific gender to complete certain duties. Anyone who posted such notices carrying messages seen as “intentionally discriminating against one’s sex” would violate the Sex Discrimination Ordinance.

Setting criteria on a specific national origin or race for candidates was also a breach of the Race Discrimination Ordinance, the watchdog added. That legislation forbids denying one employment based on “race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin” unless employers can prove those criteria are relevant.

“The commission is highly concerned about the case and has taken appropriate action to understand the situation and follow up,” it said.