[Domestic Helpers' Holidays in 2026] How are annual leave, statutory holidays, and rest days calculated for domestic helpers? (Includes calculation method for extended leave allowance)

• Statutory holidays: Government-mandated and mandatory holidays.
• Rest day: Domestic helpers are entitled to at least one rest day every 7 days, generally on Sunday.
• Paid annual leave: After three consecutive months of service, the leave increases by one day each year, starting from 7 days per year, up to a maximum of 14 days.
• Home Leave: A leave of absence of at least 7 days upon completion or termination of the contract.
• Sick Leave: With a doctor's certificate, domestic helpers are entitled to 2 days of paid sick leave per month during their first year of employment, and thereafter, they can accumulate 4 days of paid sick leave after one full month of employment; the pay for paid sick leave is 4/5 of the average daily wage.

*According to the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, Easter Monday is the newly added statutory holiday from 2026 onwards. 

All domestic helpers are entitled to Hong Kong statutory holidays.

According to the Employment Ordinance, all foreign domestic helpers, regardless of nationality or length of service, are entitled to local statutory holidays (i.e., labour holiday). It is illegal for an employer to refuse to grant holidays to a foreign domestic helper or to offer her/him money in lieu of leave.

Employers cannot pay for employee leave.

Statutory holidays are holidays strictly defined by Hong Kong law. Employers may not substitute cash payments for statutory holidays for their domestic helpers. If an employer requires a domestic helper to work on a statutory holiday, the employer must arrange for the domestic helper to take a compensatory day off within 60 days before or after the original holiday. If an employer makes payments to employees in lieu of granting statutory holidays, it is still illegal even if the domestic helper agrees, and the maximum penalty is a fine of HK$50,000.

What should we do if a statutory holiday coincides with a worker's day off?

According to the Employment Ordinance, if a statutory holiday falls on a domestic helper's day off, the employer should arrange for the domestic helper to take the statutory holiday the following day. For example, in 2026, if a domestic helper's rest day is a Sunday, and the Chung Yeung Festival holiday (October 18) also falls on a Sunday, the employer should make up for the holiday by giving the domestic helper a day off on the following day (October 19).

For foreign domestic helpers, statutory holidays are mandatory holidays as stipulated in Hong Kong's Employment Ordinance. All employees, including domestic helpers, regardless of the length of their service or whether they are employed under a "continuous contract", are entitled to statutory holidays (15 days in 2026).

As for Public holidays, commonly known as "bank holidays," they are not mandatory holidays for domestic helpers. Employers can decide for themselves whether to give their domestic helpers public holidays. There are 17 public holidays in 2026, two days more than the statutory holidays. These holidays are Good Friday (April 3) and the day after Good Friday (April 4).

Hong Kong's statutory holidays are increasing progressively to 17 days by 2030 under the Employment Ordinance. In 2026, the number of statutory holidays was increased to 15 days, and it is expected to eventually increase to 17 by 2030, fully aligning with public holidays (bank holidays).

According to Hong Kong’s Employment Ordinance, foreign domestic helpers are entitled to 7 to 14 days of paid annual leave for every 12 consecutive months of service with the same employer, depending on their seniority.

Can domestic helpers take paid leave instead of annual leave?

Generally speaking, as long as the domestic helper has accumulated more than 10 days of annual leave, the employer can replace annual leave with money for the days exceeding 10 days, but only if the domestic helper voluntarily chooses this option.

Method for calculating the amount of paid leave in lieu of leave:

• (Monthly salary x 12 / Total number of days in a year) x Number of paid holidays
• If a domestic helper has taken unpaid leave, it needs to be deducted from her total annual salary and total number of days taken throughout the year to ensure that her daily wage is not lowered.

Case Study:

Anna, the domestic helper, earns a monthly salary of HK$5,100 and is entitled to 12 days of paid annual leave, which she does not take unpaid leave for. Both parties agree that 2 days of annual leave will be paid in lieu of unpaid leave. The following are the amounts the employer needs to pay:

• Anna's average daily wage is (5100 x 12) / 365 = HKD 167.7
• Two days of annual leave are worth HK$167.7 x 2 = HK$335

The domestic worker ended her contract early; how much of her remaining annual leave will she get?

If the employer intends to terminate the contract with a domestic helper, he/she must be paid annual leave pay in lieu of any unpaid annual leave. In each holiday year (i.e. every 12 months after a domestic helper begins employment), if the domestic helper has been employed for 3 months but less than 12 months, she is also entitled to a proportional annual leave pay.

Method for calculating annual holidays and paid leave pay:

• (Number of working days / Total number of days in a year) x 7 days of annual leave = Number of paid leave days
• (Monthly salary x 12 months / Total number of days in a year) x Number of paid leave days = Paid leave payment

Case Study:

Anna, a domestic helper, applied for early termination of her contract after working for the same employer for 6 months. Her monthly salary was HK$5,100, and she was entitled to 7 days of annual leave. The following is the compensation that the employer needs to pay:

• Anna is entitled to (180 / 365) x 7 = 3.5 days of paid leave.
• The compensation is (5,100 x 12 / 365) x 3.5 = HKD 587.

Can an employer require a female worker to work on her day off?

According to the Employment Ordinance, domestic helpers are entitled to one day off every 7 days, and the day off does not necessarily have to be Sunday. Employers can set a fixed date (e.g., every Wednesday) or a different date each month, but if so, they must inform the domestic helper of the dates of rest days for that month before the start of each month.

Furthermore, unless an emergency occurs, employers cannot require domestic helpers to work on rest days. According to the law, domestic helpers are entitled to at least 24 consecutive hours of rest every 7 days, and violators are subject to a fine of HK$50,000. If the domestic helper agrees, compensatory leave can be arranged, but it must be arranged before the original rest day within the same month, or within 30 days after the original rest day.

Can domestic workers request a day off?

Domestic helpers' rest day is generally Sunday, but according to the Employment Ordinance, the employee's rest day is designated by the employer, so the employer has the right to refuse the domestic helper's request for a day off. However, the employer can consider whether the domestic helper's reasons are reasonable. If the domestic helper is ultimately allowed to take a day off, the employer can explain that this transfer is only a special case to prevent the domestic helper from frequently requesting a day off.

If the domestic helper and employer agree to renew the contract upon its expiration, according to the Hong Kong Immigration Department and the Standard Employment Contract, after completing a two-year contract, the domestic helper must return to her country of origin for at least seven days of leave before the new contract begins. Whether this leave is paid depends on the contract. Regardless of whether the leave is paid, the employer is required to cover the domestic helper's airfare back to her country of origin, as well as meal and transportation allowances (HK$100 per day).

If the employer applies for an extension of the stay, the Immigration Department will issue a one-year visa to ensure that the domestic helper can return to her country of origin within one year to complete her home leave.

How much sick leave do female factory workers take?

According to Hong Kong laws, during the first year of employment, domestic helpers are entitled to 2 days of paid sick leave per month if they are sick and have a doctor's certificate. After being employed for a full month, domestic helpers can accumulate 4 days of paid sick leave, up to a maximum of 120 days. The pay for paid sick leave is 4/5 of the average daily wage.

Domestic helper sickness insurance coverage

Most of the domestic helper insurance covers the expenses that the employer is responsible for under mandatory coverage under the Hong Kong Employment Compensation Ordinance, including in case the domestic helper gets sick. Employers do not need to bear the expensive medical and surgical costs of foreign domestic helpers: 

• Outpatient fees and medical expenses for the domestic worker at the hospital or clinic
• Surgical costs and hospitalization fees during hospitalization
• Cost of dental emergency

No. According to Hong Kong's Employment Ordinance, employers cannot use money to substitute for statutory holidays or annual leave in exchange for foreign domestic helpers working; violators are subject to a maximum fine. The specific handling methods vary depending on the type of leave:

1. Statutory holidays (labor holidays)

Labor leave cannot be replaced with paid leave, even if both the employer and employee agree; this is still illegal. If an employer requires a domestic helper to work on a statutory holiday, the employer must notify the domestic helper at least 48 hours in advance and arrange for compensatory leave for the domestic helper within 60 days before or after the holiday.

2. Rest days

The one-day rest day every 7 days cannot be substituted with money. If the employer urgently needs the domestic helper's work, a rest day can be arranged in place of the original holiday with the domestic helper's consent, but the compensatory leave must be within 30 days before or after the original rest day.

3. Paid annual leave

If a domestic helper has less than 10 days of annual leave, the employer cannot substitute the leave with money. If the domestic helper has accumulated more than 10 days of annual leave and agrees to substitute the leave with pay, the employer can use wages to replace the portion exceeding 10 days, but absolutely cannot substitute the first 10 days of annual leave with money.

Comprehensive Domestic helper insurance goes beyond the basics with broader coverage designed for overseas domestic helpers working in Hong Kong. Kwiksure compares comprehensive domestic helper insurance plans from over 60 insurance companies across Hong Kong based on the employer's needs, and provides domestic helpers with coverage for medical expenses, accidents, and hospitalization or surgery, while also assuming the employer's basic legal liabilities to ensure adequate protection for both parties.