{"id":46382,"date":"2024-07-27T11:28:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-27T11:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/?p=46382"},"modified":"2026-03-03T22:46:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T22:46:20","slug":"long-service-payment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/46382-long-service-payment.html","title":{"rendered":"Long Service Payment: How to Compute How Much HK Domestic Helper Get?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Long service payment is a topic that concerns many foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, especially those who have served the same employer for five years or more. With updated wage policies and clearer enforcement by the Hong Kong Labour Department, it is important for domestic helpers to understand how long service and severance payments are computed in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>As of <strong>September 30, 2025<\/strong>, the Hong Kong Government increased the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers to <strong>HK$5,100 per month<\/strong>. This new wage applies to all contracts signed on or after that date. The food allowance remains at <strong>HK$1,236 per month<\/strong>. These updated figures affect long service and severance payment computations.<\/p>\n<h2>Termination of employment contract<\/h2>\n<p>Either the employer or the domestic helper may terminate the employment contract by giving:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One month\u2019s written notice, or<\/li>\n<li>One month\u2019s payment in lieu of notice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Upon termination, the employer must settle the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Unpaid salary<\/li>\n<li>Payment in lieu of notice (if applicable)<\/li>\n<li>Unused annual leave payment<\/li>\n<li>Long service payment or severance payment (if eligible)<\/li>\n<li>Any contractual benefits such as return airfare, food allowance, or travel allowance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Severance Payment<\/h2>\n<p>A foreign domestic helper is entitled to severance payment if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They have worked for the same employer for at least 24 months, and<\/li>\n<li>They are dismissed or their contract is not renewed due to redundancy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Long Service Payment<\/h2>\n<p>A foreign domestic helper is entitled to long service payment if they have worked for the same employer for at least five years and:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They are dismissed for reasons other than serious misconduct or redundancy<\/li>\n<li>They resign due to ill health<\/li>\n<li>They resign due to old age (65 or above)<\/li>\n<li>They pass away during employment (payment goes to next of kin)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36588\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36588\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-36588 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/pinas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2015\/11\/helper.webp\" alt=\"Long service payment computation for domestic helpers.\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/helper.webp 600w, http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/helper-300x225.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36588\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Long service payment computation for domestic helpers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>How to compute severance or long service payment<\/h2>\n<p>The formula remains the same:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Monthly wage \u00d7 2\/3 \u00d7 Years of service<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Using the current minimum wage of <strong>HK$5,100<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<h3>Example 1: Helper with 6 years of service<\/h3>\n<p>HK$5,100 \u00d7 2\/3 \u00d7 6 = <strong>HK$20,400<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Example 2: Helper with 10 years of service<\/h3>\n<p>HK$5,100 \u00d7 2\/3 \u00d7 10 = <strong>HK$34,000<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Example 3: Helper with 5 years and 4 months of service<\/h3>\n<p>Pro\u2011rated calculation:<\/p>\n<p>5.33 years \u00d7 (HK$5,100 \u00d7 2\/3) = <strong>HK$18,122<\/strong> (rounded)<\/p>\n<h3>Example 4: Helper earning above minimum wage<\/h3>\n<p>If the helper earns HK$6,000 monthly:<\/p>\n<p>HK$6,000 \u00d7 2\/3 \u00d7 7 years = <strong>HK$28,000<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Note: Only one type of payment applies\u2014either severance or long service, not both.<\/p>\n<h2>Updated Long Service Payment Summary (Based on HK$5,100 MAW)<\/h2>\n<table class=\"demo\">\n<caption>Long Service Payment Summary<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Years of Service<\/th>\n<th>Long Service Payment<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>HK$17,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<td>HK$20,400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<td>HK$23,800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td>HK$27,200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<td>HK$30,600<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<td>HK$34,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Labour Department Hotline:<\/strong> 2717 1771 (handled by \u201c1823\u201d)<br \/>\n<strong>Website:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.labour.gov.hk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.labour.gov.hk<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Employer\u2019s written statement requirement<\/h2>\n<p>Employers must provide a written statement detailing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Employment period<\/strong> \u2013 start and end dates<\/li>\n<li><strong>Final monthly salary<\/strong> \u2013 used for computation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exact computation<\/strong> \u2013 showing formula and result<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deductions<\/strong> \u2013 if any (e.g., loans, advances)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Date of payment<\/strong> \u2013 must be within 7 days after contract termination<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What to do if the employer refuses to pay<\/h2>\n<p>If a domestic helper believes they are entitled to long service or severance payment but the employer refuses, they may take the following steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Negotiate<\/strong> \u2013 Present a written computation and request payment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mediation<\/strong> \u2013 Seek assistance from the Labour Department for dispute resolution.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Legal action<\/strong> \u2013 File a claim with the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board (MECAB).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>How the Labour Department enforces long service payment laws<\/h2>\n<p>The Labour Department ensures compliance through:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Inspections and investigations<\/strong> \u2013 Employers violating the law may face penalties.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mediation services<\/strong> \u2013 Helping both parties reach a settlement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Education and outreach<\/strong> \u2013 Providing guides and seminars for helpers and employers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prosecution<\/strong> \u2013 For repeated or serious violations.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Real-world examples<\/h2>\n<h3>Example A: Employer relocation<\/h3>\n<p>A helper who served 8 years is terminated because the employer is moving overseas. This is <strong>not redundancy<\/strong>. The helper is entitled to <strong>long service payment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Example B: Helper resigns due to illness<\/h3>\n<p>A helper with 6 years of service resigns due to a doctor\u2011certified medical condition. She qualifies for <strong>long service payment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Example C: Redundancy due to financial hardship<\/h3>\n<p>An employer can no longer afford a helper and terminates the contract after 3 years. The helper qualifies for <strong>severance payment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Example D: Serious misconduct<\/h3>\n<p>If a helper is dismissed for proven serious misconduct (e.g., theft), they are <strong>not entitled<\/strong> to long service payment.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>The long service and severance payment system in Hong Kong ensures that domestic helpers are fairly compensated for their years of dedicated service. With the updated 2026 wage levels and clear legal protections, helpers can better understand their rights and pursue proper compensation when their employment ends.<\/p>\n<p>By enforcing these laws, Hong Kong continues to attract and retain skilled and experienced domestic workers from around the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Long service payment is a topic that concerns many foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, especially those who have served the same employer for five years or more. With updated wage policies and clearer enforcement by the Hong Kong Labour Department, it is important for domestic helpers to understand how long service and severance payments [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-start-here"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46382"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46684,"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46382\/revisions\/46684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/hong-kong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}