What's News

Increase in Minimum Allowable Wage for foreign domestic helpers

The Government announced on 27 September 2024 that the Minimum Allowable Wage for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong will be increased from $4,870 to $4,990 per month. The food allowance will remain at not less than $1,236 per month.

Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and “Extreme Conditions”

The Labour Department publishes the Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and “Extreme Conditions” (COP) and provides reference guidelines for employers to make appropriate work arrangements according to the business nature, operational needs and urgency of service of their establishments. The COP also sets out the statutory liabilities of employers in relevant situations under the labour legislation such as Employment Ordinance, Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, etc.

Increase of Statutory Holidays

Starting from 2024, the first weekday after Christmas Day will be a newly added statutory holiday under the Employment Ordinance. Other relevant provisions in relation to the statutory holidays under the Employment Ordinance remain unchanged, including the arrangement of holiday, eligibility for holiday pay and pay rate, and restriction on pay in lieu of holiday.

Statutory Minimum Wage

With effect from 1 May 2023, the Statutory Minimum Wage rate is raised to $40 per hour.

Abolition of Offsetting Arrangement (to be implemented in 2025)

The Legislative Council passed the Employment and Retirement Schemes Legislation (Offsetting Arrangement) (Amendment) Bill 2022 on 9 June 2022 to abolish the use of the accrued benefits of employers' mandatory contributions under the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) System to offset severance payment (SP) and long service payment (LSP) (the offsetting arrangement). The Government will implement the abolition of the offsetting arrangement in tandem with the full implementation of the eMPF Platform of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, which is expected to be in 2025.

Jurisdictional Limit of the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board increases

With effect from 17 September 2021, the jurisdiction of the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board (MECAB) is increased from a claim amount not exceeding $8,000 per claimant to not exceeding $15,000 per claimant, while maintaining the maximum number of claimants per claim at 10. Any employment claims above the jurisdictional limit of MECAB will be adjudicated by the Labour Tribunal.

Extension of Statutory Maternity Leave from 10 Weeks to 14 Weeks

The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 (Amendment Ordinance) seeks to increase the maternity leave (ML) under the Employment Ordinance (EO) (Cap. 57) by four weeks. The Amendment Ordinance also covers two technical amendments which include updating the definition of "miscarriage" under EO; and accepting a certificate of attendance issued by medical professionals as documentary proof for entitling an eligible employee to sickness allowance for any day on which the employee has attended a medical examination in relation to her pregnancy.

5 days’ Statutory Paternity Leave takes effect on 18 January 2019

According to the Employment (Amendment) (No. 3) Ordinance 2018, male employees with child born on or after 18 January 2019 are entitled to 5 days’ paternity leave for each confinement of their spouse/partner if they fulfil other requirements as stipulated in law.

Reinstatement or Re-engagement Order for Unreasonable and Unlawful Dismissal

Where an employee has been unreasonably and unlawfully dismissed on or after 19 October 2018 and the employee makes a claim for reinstatement or re-engagement, the Labour Tribunal may make an order for reinstatement or re-engagement without the need to secure the employer’s agreement.

Foreign Domestic Helpers Portal (www.fdh.labour.gov.hk)

To facilitate Foreign Domestic Helpers (FDHs), their employers as well as the public to access to information such as the policy and labour legislation relating to the employment of FDHs, Labour Department has launched a dedicated website...

Minimum Wage Reference Calculator

Facilitating employers and employees in computing minimum wage...

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