Basic Facts

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta in South China. It borders the South China Sea to the south, west, and east, and shares a land border with mainland China to the north. The region has a total land area of 1,110 square kilometers. It has one of the world’s most thriving economies and is a hub for international trade and investment. Financial services, trading and logistics, tourism, and professional services are the four key industries in the Hong Kong economy.

 

*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Hong Kong SAR.

Capital :
City of Victoria
Currency :
Hong Kong Dollar (HKD, $, HK$)
Languages spoken :
Chinese, English
Population :
7.41 million (2021 est.)
Minimum wage 2023 :
HKD 40 (Hourly)
Cost of Living index :
$$$ (10 of 139 nations)
Payroll Frequency :
Monthly/Biweekly
VAT - standard rate :
No VAT
GDP - real growth rate :
6.4% (2021 est.)

Statutory Holidays

The holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2024.

Date
Holiday Name
Extra Information
January 1
The first day of January
February 10
Lunar New Year’s Day
Movable
February 12
The second day of Lunar New Year
Movable
February 13
The third day of Lunar New Year
Movable
April 4
Ching Ming Festival
May 1
Labor Day
May 15
The Birthday of the Buddha
June 10
Tuen Ng Festival
July 1
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
September 18
The second day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
October 1
National Day
October 11
Chung Yeung Festival
December 21 or December 25 (at the option of the employer)
Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day
December 26
The first weekday after Christmas Day*

Contract Sharing Time


The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Hong Kong SAR is 14 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.

NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.

What You Need To Know


  • Employers who fail to grant employees rest days or who compel them to work on rest days attract a fine of HKD 50,000.
  • Standard working hours must be agreed upon in the employment contract.
  • It is mandatory to give employees a 13th salary but the amount of the salary should be agreed in the employment contract.

Labor Conditions


Working Hours

There is no law in Hong Kong establishing a standard workday or workweek, setting a maximum number of work hours. Such matters may be negotiated between the employer and the employee.

 

Overtime

There is no law in Hong Kong establishing the maximum number of work hours or requiring payment of overtime. Overtime conditions may be negotiated between the employer and the employee.

 

Probation Period

There is no restriction on the use of probationary periods, and they are common, typically ranging from one to three months.

Termination Notice Period

A contract of employment may be terminated by the employer or employee by giving the other party due notice or payment in lieu of notice.

 

During Probation

A notice of not less than seven days is required if an employment contract is terminated after the first month of probation.

 

After Probation

Where the employment contract makes provision for a notice period, it must not be less than seven days. In employment contracts without agreement on the notice period, a notice period of not less than one month is required.

Leave / Time Off

Annual Leave

An employee is entitled to annual leave with pay after having been employed under a continuous contract for every 12 months. An employee’s entitlement to paid annual leave increases progressively from seven days to a maximum of 14 days according to their length of service

Sick Leave

Employees under a continuous contract accumulate paid sickness days as follows:

  • Two days for each completed month during the first 12 months of employment;
  • Four days for each completed month thereafter;
  • Days are accumulated throughout the employment period, not exceeding 120 days at any one time.

Parental Leave

There are no statutory provisions for parental leave.

Maternity Leave

A female employee employed under a continuous contract immediately before the commencement of her maternity leave and having given notice of pregnancy and her intention to take maternity leave to the employer is entitled to the following periods of leave:

  • A continuous period of 14 weeks’ maternity leave;
  • If confinement occurs later than the expected date of confinement, a further period equal to the number of days from the day after the expected date of confinement to the actual date of confinement;
  • An additional period of leave for not more than four weeks on the grounds of illness or disability due to the pregnancy or confinement.
Paternity Leave

A male employee is entitled to five days’ paternity leave for each confinement of his spouse/partner if:

  • He is the father of a new-born child or a father-to-be;
  • He has been employed under a continuous contract; and
  • He has given the required notice to the employer.

Other Types of Paid Leave

The law does not specify other types of paid leave.

Unpaid Leave

In Hong Kong, there is no statutory right that entitles an employer to instruct their employees to take unpaid leave.

 

Statutory Benefits

Hong Kong (SAR) does not have a social security tax system. However, all employees over the age of 18 but below 65, normally residing and working in Hong Kong (SAR), are required to join a Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme. Exemption from the MPF requirements can be claimed where an individual is entering Hong Kong (SAR) for the purpose of being employed or self-employed (i.e. on a valid employment visa) for a limited period (13 months or less) or where one is a member of an overseas retirement scheme.

An employee or an employer may make voluntary contributions in addition to the mandatory contributions required.

An overview of the contributions to the MPF is presented below.

 

Monthly Relevant Income Employer’s Mandatory Contribution Employee’s Mandatory Contribution
Less than HKD 7,100 5% No contribution is required
HKD 7,100 to HKD 30,000 5% 5%
More than HKD 30,000 HKD 1,500 HKD 1,500

Health Insurance

There are no financial contributions to public health insurance in Hong Kong. The government simply provides healthcare for everyone at virtually no cost. This system includes not only Hong Kong citizens and permanent residents, but also non-permanent residents.

 

Other Insurances

Accident Insurance

Accident insurance is an employer liability system that is administered through private carriers. The minimum coverage is HKD 100 million for employers with up to 200 employees or HKD 200 million for employers with more than 200 employees.

An employer is liable to pay compensation in respect of injuries sustained by the employees as a result of an accident arising out of and in the course of employment; or in respect of occupational diseases specified in the Employment Ordinance.

Unemployment Insurance

Hong Kong does not have an unemployment insurance system except for the Temporary Unemployment Program that was launched in February 2022 that provides a one-off lump sum of HKD 10,000 to eligible individuals who have temporarily lost their jobs due to the Covid pandemic, to alleviate some financial pressure before finding a new job.

Public Pension

Mandatory Provident Fund

Employers pay 5% of the monthly income to the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) for employees who earn up to HKD 30,000 per month. For any income above HKD 30,000, the employer pays HKD 1,500.

The MPF scheme is designed to provide a formal, compulsory system of retirement protection by way of a privately managed contribution scheme.

The retirement age is 65 years.

Other Statutory Benefits

There are no other statutory benefits in Hong Kong SAR.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this Country Guide is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The contents of this Country Guide contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your situation. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this Country Guide without seeking the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content included in this Country Guide.

Information provided in this Country Guide is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. WorkMotion Software GmbH periodically adds, changes, improves, updates, or removes information without notice, and assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the contents of this Country Guide. This Country Guide may contain links to other websites. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.