This is to inform members that the Legislative Council passed the amendments to the “continuous contract” requirement under the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) on 18 June 2025. The revised requirement will take effect on 18 January 2026. The purpose of the amendment is to better cover employees with shorter or irregular working hours, enabling them to meet the statutory threshold more readily and thereby enjoy the full range of employment protection and benefits under the EO.
New “Continuous Contract” Requirement (Effective from 18 January 2026)
An employee shall be regarded as being employed under a “continuous contract” if BOTH of the following criteria are satisfied:
- The employee has been employed continuously by the same employer for four weeks or more; and
- The employee has met one of the following working‑hours requirements:
(a) Worked at least 17 hours per week; or
(b) If worked less than 17 hours in any week, worked 68 hours or more in the four‑week period comprising that week and the three preceding weeks.
For detailed information on the new “continuous contract” requirement, please visit the Labour Department’s homepage:
