Hong Kong edges closer to working hours laws as government advisers reach agreement

Hong Kong employers should be obliged by law to state clearly in their contracts the number of hours their staff work and how they should be compensated for overtime, government advisers have said.

Members of the standard working hours committee reached the agreement at a meeting yesterday, after a report the panel commissioned found that 23 per cent of the city's working population toiled for 511/2 hours a week or longer.

"We have agreed that we should walk in the direction of legislation in our working hours policy," committee chairman Dr Leong Che-hung said. "The contract between the employer and the employee should state clearly how many hours they need to work, what happens if they work overtime, and their meal times and rest time. All of those need to be stated clearly."

Members also agreed that working hours should not be standardised at the same level for all jobs, given that different jobs had different natures.

Leong is confident the committee will be able to submit a report to the government before its term ends next year.

While employers said this suggestion offered them flexibility since they could bargain with their staff over weekly working hours, labour activists said it was a "joke" as employers could choose not to offer overtime payments if employees agreed.