Hong Kong Approves Employment Bill 2025 to Strengthen Workers’ Rights – Know the Details

On June 18, 2025, the Hong Kong government welcomed the introduction of the Employment Amendment Bill 2025, which modifies the Employment Ordinance (EO), Cap. 57 “continuous contract” criterion. The purpose of this new legislation is to provide a greater level of employment security and access to statutory rights, particularly for part-time and non-standard workers.

What has changed with the “Continuous Contract” rule?

The previous rule stated that a worker needs to have worked at least 18 hours per week for 4 consecutive weeks to be classified as under a “continuous contract”. 

The new amendment is as follows:

• Lowers the weekly hourly threshold to 17 hours.

Introduces a flexible 4-week aggregation method:

• If a worker has fewer than 17 hours in a week and at least 68 hours when totalled over the 4-week period, they will qualify.

This amendment is meant to cover gaps in situations where workers are just short of qualifying due to reasons outside of their control.

When Does the New Law Commence?

The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 will be published as an official gazette on June 27th, 2025, and the amendments will come into force on January 18, 2026.

Who Will Benefit From This Amendment?

The bill provides particularly valuable rights for casual, part-time and gig economy workers, creating better access to statutory rights such as paid leave and severance payments.

What Remains Unchanged?

All current worker rights and eligibility for benefits under the EO will remain unchanged. Workers who currently qualify under the previous rule will remain unaffected.

By lowering barriers to coverage and expanding flexibility, the government is ensuring fairer protection for modern workers in a changing employment landscape.