Maternity pay cap to more than double and leave to be extended in Hong Kong under proposed amendments to labour law
- Limit on pay to be increased to HK$80,000 and time off raised from 10 weeks to 14 weeks
- Government hopes to make changes to law by end of 2020, a year earlier than planned
The cap on maternity leave pay in Hong Kong is to be raised to HK$80,000 (US$10,322), more than double the existing sum, under proposed amendments to a labour bill that would see mothers get an extra four weeks off work.
If the amendments were endorsed, the government would also raise the current statutory requirement of 10 weeks’ leave to 14 weeks as early as the end of this year, 12 months earlier than planned.
The move would cover most of the female employees in Hong Kong, the government said on Monday, adding that the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019 would resume its second debate at the Legislative Council next Wednesday.
The government would reimburse employers for the cost of the additional leave, capped at HK$36,822. This means that for employees with a monthly income of HK$50,000 or below, the additional four weeks’ statutory maternity leave pay would be carried by the government.