Battered by Hong Kong protests, Maxim’s gives staff one-off bonus for work during unrest

Payments of HK$2,000 for full-time staff and HK$1,000 for part-timers revealed in letter obtained by Post

The food and catering group’s outlets have been frequent victims of vandalism since co-founder’s daughter dubbed protesters ‘rioters’

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Food and catering group Maxim’s is giving full- and part-time staff members a one-off bonus for their work during the ongoing protests. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 8:47pm, 14 Jan 2020Updated: 8:47pm, 14 Jan 2020

Embattled food and catering group Maxim’s, the focus of frequent vandalism by radical Hong Kong protesters, has rewarded its staff with a one-off bonus despite the city’s ongoing economic slump.

The company on Monday gave HK$2,000 (US$257) to each permanent staff member and HK$1,000 to each part-timer as gratitude for their contributions during the past months of unrest, according to an internal letter the Post obtained on Tuesday.

The letter, issued by chairman and managing director Michael Wu, said the group’s operating environment had become difficult as a result of the social unrest and poor economy.

He also predicted the coming year would continue to be engulfed in uncertainty.

A spokeswoman said the payment was non-recurring and was separate from the group’s annual discretionary bonus.

“This is to recognise the staff’s contributions during the difficult time arising from the social incidents,” she said.