The Labour Department today expanded the Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work by increasing the industries covered to include the catering and hotel industry and the transportation and logistics industry.

The department said it expanded the pilot programme, in addition to covering the original construction industry, to assist more injured employees in the relevant industries to recover and return to work early.

Funded by the Government, programme participants only need to pay the same fees as public hospital services for receiving private rehabilitation treatment services. With the waiting time for services saved, participants can benefit from timely treatments, the department added.

The department also noted that employees’ early recovery and return-to-work can help maintain the employers’ productivity.

To participate in the pilot programme, injured employees must be engaged in the aforementioned industries at the time of the work injury.

As for employees in the catering and hotel industry and transportation and logistics industry, they can take part in the pilot programme on the condition that their work injuries occurred on or after April 1.

Additionally, the employees should have sustained a musculoskeletal injury as a result of the work injury or contracted a musculoskeletal occupational disease prescribed under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and have been, or are expected to be, absent from work for six weeks or more because of the injury.