Hong Kong: Termination of employment

Original and updating author: Nicholas Chan, Squire Patton Boggs

See the legal services provided by the author of International > Hong Kong, including any discounts/offers for subscribers.

Note: Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It has a high degree of autonomy and its own legal system, including in the area of employment law.

Summary

• Employment contracts may be terminated in various ways. (See General)
• After any probationary period, the notice period (except in cases of summary dismissal) is that laid down in the individual contract, subject to a minimum of seven days. (See Notice periods)
• Employees are entitled to various payments on termination. (See Termination payments)
• A redundancy is treated as any other dismissal, except that it may entitle the employee to a statutory severance payment. (See Redundancy rights)
• Employees who have been employed for at least 24 months under a "continuous" employment contract, and believe that they have been dismissed unreasonably, may bring proceedings in the Labour Tribunal. (See Contesting dismissals in court)