In February 2024, the Hong Kong government announced plans to relax the requirement for a “continuous contract” under the Employment Ordinance from needing to work 18 hours a week for four or more consecutive weeks (i.e. the “418 rule“) to 68 hours in four weeks. Please see our earlier legal update for more details.
The Employment (Amendment) Bill 2025 to introduce changes to the continuous contract requirement has now been gazetted.
Announced on 11 April 2025, the Bill seeks to amend the Employment Ordinance to provide for there to be a “continuous contract” where an employee works:
- not less than 17 hours per week for four or more consecutive weeks (changing the “418 rule” to “417 rule”), or
- 68 hours or more in aggregate over a 4-week period (i.e. the “468 rule”).
The Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council for first and second readings on 16 April 2025 and further considered by the House Committee on 25 April 2025.
Once the Bill is passed by the Legislative Council, the proposed amendments will come into operation on the first Sunday six months following gazettal.
Employers and HR practitioners are encouraged to keep a close eye on the latest developments. Stay tuned for more updates!
A copy of the Bill can be found here. See also the Press Release for more information.
