2024 Domestic Helper Statutory Holidays
(Updated on March 26, 2024)
Statutory holidays are mandatory holidays for domestic workers according to the Hong Kong law – all foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong are entitled to the 14 statutory holidays annually regardless of their length of service. Even if your domestic helper has worked for you for only one day, she is still entitled to the statutory holiday.
See also: Domestic Helper Annual Leave and Holidays
The list of Hong Kong statutory holidays 2024
- 1 January 2024, Monday - The first day of January
- 10 February 2024, Saturday - Lunar New Year’s Day
- 12 February 2024, Monday - The third day of Lunar New Year
- 13 February 2024, Tuesday - The fourth day of Lunar New Year
- 4 April 2024, Thursday - Ching Ming Festival
- 1 May 2024, Wednesday - Labour Day
- 15 May 2024, Wednesday - The Birthday of the Buddha
- 10 June 2024, Monday - Tuen Ng Festival / Dragon Boat Festival
- 1 July 2024, Monday - HKSAR Establishment Day
- 18 September 2024, Wednesday - The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
- 1 October 2024, Tuesday - National Day
- 11 October 2024, Friday - Chung Yeung Festival
- 21 December 2024, Saturday - Chinese Winter Solstice Festival OR
- 25 December 2024, Wednesday - Christmas Day (at the option of the employer)
- 26 December 2024, Thursday - The first weekday after Christmas Day (*According to the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the newly added statutory holiday from 2024 onwards is the first weekday after Christmas Day.)
Rules about domestic helper statutory holidays in Hong Kong
It is up to you to decide whether you should give your domestic worker the day off on General Holidays, but it is always nice to give them the day off if you are not working yourself and don’t need them.
However, clear rules exist and apply when it comes to Statutory Holidays in Hong Kong:
- Statutory Holidays are mandatory - you must give your maid the day off.
- They are mandatory irrespective of the length of service - no matter if your domestic helper has been with you for 2 years or only 2 days, she must have the day off.
- If your domestic helper has been with you for at least 3 months under a continuous contract, she is entitled to paid statutory holidays. If she has been with you for less than 3 months she is entitled to statutory holidays. However, in such a case, it is strictly up to you to decide whether you want to pay her or not.
- All statutory holidays must be taken off - you cannot pay your domestic worker to work on a statutory holiday (even if you pay her extra). Note that any payment made in lieu of statutory holidays can result in a fine.
- If for some reason, you need your housemaid to work on a statutory holiday, you must give her at least a 48 hours’ prior notice and arrange an alternative holiday within a 2-month period before or after the statutory holiday.
- Should the statutory holiday fall on your domestic helper’s usual rest day, you should grant her a mandatory holiday either on the following day, which is not a statutory holiday, or you can also choose to grant her an alternative holiday, a substituted holiday, or a rest day. Simply put, you are not allowed to let your domestic helper take her rest day when it is a statutory holiday. Note that this shouldn’t happen on a Sunday because the statutory holidays will then automatically be moved to the following Monday.
What about the general holidays (public holidays)?
Besides the 14 statutory holidays, Hong Kong has other general holidays on which most employees are free: Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.
You are not required to give your domestic helper general holidays (public holidays). You can decide to also give your domestic helper the general holiday off so she can recharge as it may also boost the work morale.
About HelperChoice
HelperChoice is a reputable maid agency that holds a valid license approved by the Labour Department Hong Kong. The agency offers an online platform for direct hiring of domestic helpers and facilitates visa processing services specifically for Filipino maids. With a vast network, HelperChoice has successfully served over 75,000 employers in Hong Kong and Singapore, providing access to a pool of more than 20,000 domestic worker profiles. The agency maintains collaborative partnerships with local NGOs, including Enrich Hong Kong, Help For Domestic Workers, and PathFinders, organizing workshops and webinars to support foreign migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.
Contract And Visa Renewal For Filipino Maids
Employers are required to renew the employment contract and visa for foreign domestic helpers every two years at the Immigration Department and the respective Consulate. If you need assistance with processing the contract and visa for a Filipino maid, you can reach out to the HelperChoice team via Whatsapp. Normally, the visa renewal takes around two weeks to complete. Most visa processing packages include a mandatory two-year insurance coverage for domestic workers. For more information, please contact us via Whatsapp.