Most HK civil service dismissals in past 5 years over Covid vaccine rules

More than 40 per cent of Hong Kong civil servants dismissed over the past five years were sacked over not complying with the city’s vaccination requirements when Covid-19 rules were in place.

Out of the 50 dismissal cases as a result of misconduct, 21 were related to violating a policy requiring staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

From February 2022, at the height of Hong Kong’s fifth and most fatal wave of Covid-19, visitors and staff at government buildings and offices were required to meet specific vaccination requirements unless they had valid medical exemptions. The policy was later rolled out to restaurants and other businesses.

Separately, there were 74 dismissals due to criminal offences. Eighteen related to cases of shoplifting or theft, while 14 were in connection with sex-related offences.

In a February Legislative Council document, the Civil Service Bureau said the disciplinary mechanism ensures that “appropriate punishments are meted out to officers who have misconducted themselves under the principles of fairness and impartiality.”

Civil servants suspected of misconduct are given a “fair hearing and sufficient opportunities” to defend themselves, the document added, with the accused allowed to present witnesses to give evidence in hearings, and engage legal representation.

The bureau also said that civil servants who were “aggrieved” by the formal disciplinary punishment could appeal or apply for a judicial review, which are court procedures where a judge examines the decision-making processes of administrative bodies.

On Thursday, a teacher who lost her job at a government secondary school over online comments about police during the 2019 protests challenged the Civil Service Bureau’s decision to dismiss her at the High Court. She was fired last July after authorities determined that her actions had negatively affected students and tarnished the government’s reputation.