Wages & Allowances

The amount of wages shall not be less than the minimum allowable wage, which is HKD3,580 announced by the Government of the HKSAR and prevailing at the date of the contract. Wages shall be paid by the employer in cash or, with the Helper's consent, by cheque or into the Helper's bank account.

An employer who fails to pay the wages due under the employment contract shall be liable to criminal prosecution. Under the Employment Ordinance, any employer who underpays wages commits an offence and is liable to a fine of HKD200,000 and to imprisonment for one year.

Deduction from wages
No deduction may be made by an employer from the wages of Helper other than as permitted under the Employment Ordinance. Examples of deductions allowed under the Employment Ordinance are:

• deduction for absence from work not exceeding a sum proportionate to the period of absence;
• for damage to or loss of the employer's goods, equipment or property, subject to a limit of HKD300, and other conditions as stipulated in the Employment Ordinance;
• deductions for the recovery of any advance or over-payment of wages made by the employer to the Helper but subject to a maximum of one quarter of the wage payable in one wage period.

Except with the approval in writing of the Commissioner for Labour, the total of all deductions, excluding those for absence from work, made in any one wage period must not exceed one half of the wages payable for that period. Any person who unlawfully deducts wages commits an offence and is liable to a fine of HKD100,000 and imprisonment for one year.

Food allowance (if no food is provided to the Helper)
The agreed amount of food allowance should not be less than HKD300 per month.

Sickness allowance
The Helper is entitled to sickness allowance at the rate of 2 paid sickness days for each completed month of employment during the first 12 months of employment and 4 paid sickness days for each month of service thereafter. Paid sickness days may be accumulated up to a maximum of 120 days. The daily rate of sickness allowance is equal to four-fifths the normal wage for that day. The Helper is not entitled to sickness allowance if the sick leave is less than 4 consecutive days.

You may surf the website of Labour Department for more details.

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