Statutory Holidays for Foreign Domestic Helpers in 2025 and Important Notes
The Labour Department announced the statutory holidays for 2025 in early May. It is important to note that statutory holidays are different from public holidays in Hong Kong, as there are fewer statutory holidays than public holidays. The holidays for foreign domestic helpers are arranged according to statutory holidays. This article not only shares the dates of the statutory holidays in 2025 but also provides important notes for employers and foreign domestic helpers to carefully plan their holiday schedules for 2025!
Statutory Holidays in 2025
According to the Labour Department website, there are 14 statutory holidays in 2025:
January 1 (New Year's Day) — January 1
Lunar New Year’s Day — January 29
Second day of Lunar New Year — January 30
Third day of Lunar New Year — January 31
Ching Ming Festival — April 4
Labour Day — May 1
Buddha’s Birthday — May 5
Tuen Ng Festival — May 31
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day — July 1
National Day — October 1
The day following the Mid-Autumn Festival — October 7
Chung Yeung Festival — October 29
Winter Solstice or Christmas Day (chosen by the employer) — December 21 or December 25
The first Sunday after Christmas — December 26
The Labour Department website also provides special reminders that if a statutory holiday falls on an employee's rest day, a substitute holiday should be arranged on the following day, which must not be a statutory holiday, an alternative holiday, a substituted holiday, or a rest day. Employees who have been employed under a continuous contract for not less than three months are entitled to holiday pay, which is equivalent to the employee's average daily wages over the 12 months preceding the holiday.
Example:
If an employee's rest day is Sunday and the employer chooses Winter Solstice (December 21) as the statutory holiday, since Winter Solstice falls on a Sunday, the employer should arrange a substitute holiday on the following day (December 22). However, this day must not be a statutory holiday, an alternative holiday, a substituted holiday, or a rest day.
Notes on Working on Statutory Holidays
If an employer requires a foreign domestic helper to work on a statutory holiday, special arrangements for a substituted holiday must be made as follows:
If both the employer and the foreign domestic helper agree, the employer can arrange a substituted holiday within 30 days before or after the statutory holiday or an alternative holiday.
Can Employers "Buy" Holidays from Foreign Domestic Helpers?
Regardless of whether the foreign domestic helper is entitled to holiday pay, employers must still allow the helper to take the statutory holiday or arrange an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday. Employers are not allowed to replace the holiday with a payment, i.e., they cannot "buy" the holiday.
Related Article: Can I “buy” the paid holiday from the foreign domestic helpers?
Related product:
California Insurance's latest foreign domestic helper insurance offers the highest coverage in Hong Kong with up to HK$88,000 coverage for hospitalization and surgical expenses. It also provides “New Starter Benefit” that offers probationary protection and “Open Cover” policy reservations for up to 365 days. Learn more or apply now.
The information provided in this article is for general reference only and should not be considered as any form of advice. Our company assumes no responsibility for its use
