Although Hong Kong is very business-friendly and constantly ranked among the top countries for its ease of doing business, when it comes to HR and payroll compliance, most foreign owned companies and start-up businesses find employer and employee compliance burdensome. This is often due to the limited resources available in time and funds. Hiring an employee early on solely for the administration of personnel matters for a small team can rarely justify the expense. However, the consequences of an oversight and the resulting potential non-compliance with labour laws and related regulations can be severe. In this short guide, we will highlight the most common issues business owners and directors should keep in mind.

Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, outlined his budget for 2023-24 in his Budget Address on 22 February 2023. Highlights of some measures of particular interest to Hong Kong companies and those with business interests in Asia, are set out below.

The Hong Kong Government has launched a third round of financial support to aid employers retain their current employees, or even employ more staff, as part of its continued Anti-epidemic Fund measures. Eligible employers can receive subsidies of up to HKD8,000 per employee for three months whilst eligible self-employed applicants can receive a one-off payment. […]

The Hong Kong Government has announced the application details for the second payment instalment of its Employment Support Scheme (ESS). Eligible employers may submit their applications for the second tranche wage subsidies from 31 August to 13 September 2020. Employers who have previously applied for the first tranche of the wage subsidies (for wages paid from June to August 2020) must submit a new application (whether the first application was successful or not).

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has recently passed the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019 (the Bill) which enhances the leave benefits of female employees who are employed under a continuous contract of employment. The key changes are as follows: The amendments are not yet in force. The Bill is expected to be effected by the end of […]