Statutory holidays are mandatory holidays for domestic helpers according to the Hong Kong law – all foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong are entitled to the 13 statutory holidays in a year regardless of their work duration. The employer can give her domestic helper a day off during the statutory holiday even if he/she is working for less than 3 months. Employer not required to pay the salary for the holiday untill the first 3 months of service. Note employer can discuss to helper regarding this matter if he/she chosses to get a holiday in less than 3 months of working, that a day off this case may less 1 day salary.

 

The list of Hong Kong statutory holidays 2021

  • Statutory Holidays for 2023

    The 13 statutory holidays for 2023 are:

    1.The first day of January1 January 
    2.The second day of Lunar New Year23 January 
    3.The third day of Lunar New Year24 January 
    4.The fourth day of Lunar New Year25 January 
    5.Ching Ming Festival5 April 
    6.Labour Day1 May 
    7.The Birthday of the Buddha26 May 
    8.Tuen Ng Festival22 June 
    9.Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day1 July 
    10.The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival30 September 
    11.National Day1 October 
    12.Chung Yeung Festival23 October 
    13.Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer)22 December or 25 December 

    All employees are entitled to the above statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day which is not a statutory holiday or an alteative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day. An employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 3 months is entitled to the holiday pay which is equivalent to the daily average wages eaed by the employee in the 12-month period preceding the holiday.

  • According to the Employment Ordinance, when either Lunar New Year\'s Day, the second day of the Lunar New Year or the third day of the Lunar New Year falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year is designated as a statutory holiday in substitution; and in the event that the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival falls on a Sunday, the day thereafter (i.e. the 17th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar) is designated as a statutory holiday in substitution. As the first day of Lunar New Year of 2023 falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of Lunar New Year will be designated as a statutory holiday.

 

  • Reference sample: If you give your domestic helper a dayt off on sunday, if the paublic holiday or statutory holiday falls on sunday the following day monday is still her day off or you can discuss to change other day.
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Rest Day

An employer must clearly notify his/her employee which day will be the day off. In Hong Kong, the rest day is often Saturday, Sunday or weekdays. The helper has a rest day for a continues 24 hours every 7 days. Rest days do not have to be regular, i.e. the same day an employer get exceptionally the consent of his domestic, he needs to compensate this day within the same month. In case employer change a day of the day off for her helper, emplyers need to notify her/him at least two week before the rest day just incase your employee already arrange for that day.

Years of Service Annual Leave Entitlement
1 7
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10
6 11
7 12
8 13
9 or above 14


If you require more information, don’t hesitate to contact the following department:

  • Labour Department Local Domestic Helper Hotline: 2503-3377
  • Immigration Department Enquiry Hotline: 2824-6111

More information are also available with Asian Charm.