Dec 26 now a statutory holiday in HK

 FOR DEC 25

All employees, including FDHs, get to spend another holiday after Christmas starting this year

Starting this year, the first weekday after Christmas (which this year is December 26), becomes part of the permanent statutory holidays in Hong Kong.

This means that employees, including foreign domestic workers, can take the day off, enabling them to have two holidays in a row.

If, on any succeeding years December 26 falls on a Sunday, the next day, December 27, becomes the statutory holiday.

Designating the first weekday after Christmas as a statutory holiday is part of the Hong Kong Employment  (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which provides for the progressive increase of statutory (paid public) holidays from 13 days to 17 days by 2030.

Basahin ang detalye!

The first of the five additional public holidays, the Birthday of Buddha, became effective in May 2022. This is the second one to be designated as an additional statutory holiday, making a total of 14 paid public holidays.

Under the Ordinance, statutory public holidays will continue to be added according to the schedule below until fully enacted in 2030:

-          Easter Monday will be effective from 1 January 2026,

-          Good Friday will be effective from 1 January 2028, and

-          the day following Good Friday day will be effective from 1 January 2028.

Employers are reminded to ensure compliance. For those with FDHs, they must allow their helpers to go out for another holiday on this day, and in all the succeeding years.

Here is the complete list of Statutory Holidays for 2024: 

1.         The first day of January          1 January        

2.         Lunar New Year's Day           10 February    

3.         The third day of Lunar New Year      12 February    

4.         The fourth day of Lunar New Year    13 February    

5.         Ching Ming Festival   4 April

6.         Labour Day     1 May 

7.         The Birthday of the Buddha  15 May           

8.         Tuen Ng Festival         10 June           

9.         Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day        1 July  

10.       The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival           18 September 

11.       National Day   1 October       

12.       Chung Yeung Festival            11 October     

13.       Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer) 21 December or 25 December       

14.       The first weekday after Christmas Day*        26 December  

*According to the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the newly added statutory holiday from 2024 onwards is the first weekday after Christmas Day.

Please note:

(i）According to the Employment Ordinance, when either Lunar New Year's Day, the second day of the Lunar New Year or the third day of the Lunar New Year falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year is designated as a statutory holiday in substitution; and in the event that the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival falls on a Sunday, the day thereafter (i.e. the 17th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar) is designated as a statutory holiday in substitution. As the second day of Lunar New Year of 2024 falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of Lunar New Year will be designated as a statutory holiday.

（ii）All employees are entitled to the above statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day which is not a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day. An employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 3 months is entitled to the holiday pay which is equivalent to the average daily wages earned by the employee in the 12-month period preceding the holiday.

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