Secretary for Labour Chris Sun said on Thursday the government has no intention of regulating work suspension arrangements during adverse weather and extreme conditions.

His remark came as Hong Kong gets back to normal in the wake of the battering by Super Typhoon Ragasa over the better part of the past two days, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rain and causing the T10 signal to be in force for nearly 11 hours.

Under existing Labour Department guidelines, workers who are not classified as "designated staff" should remain in a safe place instead of reporting for work as usual during severe weather.

At a Legislative Council meeting, Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung pointed out that current guidelines lack binding legal effect and have vague definitions for "designated staff".

In response, Sun said it’s impractical to specify “designated staff” and stressed that any legislative move in this direction would not necessarily have a positive impact on society returning to normalcy.

“Let me give an example: generally speaking, providing meals is not something people consider a necessity during adverse weather,” he said.

"However, if an organisation that supplies meals to hospitals and nursing homes suspends its work, what will patients, the elderly and the disabled eat?

“This example shows that society’s functioning is complex and interconnected.

"If the government were to legislate, of course, the intention would be good, but the outcome may not be as expected.”

Kwok also raised concerns about the Labour Department's protection of the rights of workers, who are not provided with travel and additional duty allowances during adverse weather, as referenced in its guidelines.

Sun said the department does not keep figures for calls for assistance and complaints regarding work arrangements during adverse weather.

If workers encounter any unreasonable treatment, they can seek help from the department or file complaints, he added.