Revised rule lowers weekly work threshold to 17 hours

This was part of the new Employment (Amendment) Bill 2025.

Hong Kong lowered the working hours threshold from 18 hours to 17 hours, according to the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2025 the Legislative Council recently passed to revise the continuous contract requirement under the Employment Ordinance, making it easier for employees to enjoy comprehensive employment rights.

Moreover, a week involving less than 17 working hours will still be regarded as a continuous employment period if the sum of the working hours of that week and those of the three weeks immediately preceding it reaches 68.

The government outlined that the amendment introduces flexibility in the calculation of working hours, reducing the likelihood of the continuity of workers’ employment being disrupted due to working hours occasionally falling below the threshold.

Other provisions of the ordinance will continue to operate as they have been, and existing eligibility criteria for employees to enjoy various statutory benefits will remain unchanged.

The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 will be published in the Government Gazette next Friday. The revised continuous contract requirement will be effective from January 18, 2026.