Catering
Renowned as a culinary capital, Hong Kong’s vibrant dining scene attracts not only local patrons but also visitors from around the world. This success is built on the catering industry’s sustained efforts in brand building and its commitment to earning customers’ trust in food quality and service excellence. However, corruption can erode public confidence, compromise food and service standards, and ultimately threaten the industry’s hard-earned reputation.
The Private Sector Integrity Centre (PSIC) offers free anti-corruption and integrity training to help catering practitioners remain vigilant against corruption risks and uphold high integrity standards. We also provide free corruption prevention advisory services and practical resources to help companies in strengthening safeguards and fostering an ethical culture.
Corruption Risks
- Compromised staff accept illegal rebates from food suppliers for ordering excessive food materials.
- Compromised staff accept advantages from colluded food suppliers for conniving at substandard goods and ingredients.
- Procurement staff conspire with suppliers to inflate the prices of goods or falsely report the quantity of goods.
- Colluded staff accept advantages for leaking quotation prices or tender information to favoured suppliers.
- Compromised staff accept advantages from competitors for leaking company’s confidential information, e.g., marketing/promotion activities, customer data, etc.
- Dishonest staff misappropriate restaurant coupons or expensive inventory items for personal gain.
- Frontline staff accept advantages for waiving charges or offering unauthorised discounts to friends.
- Unscrupulous staff embezzle sales proceeds by cancelling a bill/some of the items or not recording without authorisation.
- Dishonest staff pocket discount differences by using their credit cards for payment to replace cash payment by customers.
- Unscrupulous staff tampering with inventory records to cover up stolen stock items.
- Compromised supervisors falsely report the number of temporary employees and collect the excess wages.
- Personnel staff accept advantages from colluded candidates or colleagues for showing favour in appointments, promotions and transfers.
- Compromised managers or supervisors accept advantages from subordinates for showing favour in allocation of duties or performance appraisal.
- Staff submit false documents such as overtime work or sick leave certificate to deceive the employer.
- Staff purchase food materials from suppliers of whom the staff or his relatives have financial interest.
- Kitchen staff monitoring quality and quantity of food supplies accept frequent entertainment from suppliers.
- Supervisors favour friends or relatives in recruitment, promotion, or allocation of duties and overtime work.
- Staff give discounts or waive charges for friends or relatives without endorsement by higher authority.
Resources
Integrity Training
The Private Sector Integrity Centre (PSIC) offers free anti-corruption and integrity training to help companies in the catering industry build an ethical corporate culture and prevent corruption and fraud.
PSIC organises webinars on the “PSIC Channel” for business practitioners across various sectors and industries. Click here to view details of the upcoming webinars and enroll now!
User-friendly e-learning materials are available:
Integrity Training Animation for Tourism - Catering Sector: Fish in Troubled Waters
“Master Chef” is no easy job – Interactive webpage for catering industry
PSIC provides free and tailor-made training for managers and staff of companies in the catering industry.
Please contact us if you wish to arrange integrity and corruption prevention training.
