Hong Kong Employment Bill: Enhanced Statutory Rights in 2026

The Employment (Amendment) Bill 2025 was passed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council today, on 18 June 2025 (the “Bill”).

Currently, an employee may qualify for certain statutory benefits, such as statutory paid sickness days and statutory holidays, if they are employed under a “continuous contract” as defined under the Employment Ordinance. This requires (i) employment by the same employer for at least four consecutive weeks; and (ii) the employee having worked for at least 18 hours in each of those weeks.

The Bill redefines and relaxes the requirements for “continuous contract” to include either working at least 17 hours per week for four or more consecutive weeks (the "417 rule") or accumulating 68 hours over a four-week period (the "468 rule").

Following the passage of the Bill, the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 will be gazetted by the government on 27 June 2025, and the revised requirements of “continuous contract” will start to take effect from 18 January 2026 onwards.

The Bill represents an important step towards improving employees’ rights in Hong Kong. By relaxing the criteria for “continuous contract”, the Bill aims to close existing loopholes and ensure that more employees can access statutory benefits. Employers should proactively review and adjust their staffing arrangements and terms of employment to ensure compliance with the new requirements when they come effective.