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2026 is just around the corner, and Hong Kong HR professionals should start preparing now for two important changes: Easter Monday becoming a statutory holiday and the new “468 rule” under the Employment Ordinance. These updates will directly affect holiday planning, payroll, and how continuous employment is assessed, so this article serves as a practical reminder to review your HR policies, systems, and contracts in advance.
2026 Hong Kong HR must know changes
From 1 January 2026, Easter Monday will become a statutory holiday (SH), increasing the number of statutory holidays from 14 to 15 in Hong Kong.
From 18 January 2026, the long‑standing “418 rule” for continuous contract under the Employment Ordinance will be replaced by the new “468 rule”, significantly widening access to statutory benefits for part‑time and casual workers. Knowing more how that will be impacting employers, you can also read our previous article here.
Easter Monday becomes a statutory holiday
Currently, Easter Monday is a general holiday but not a statutory holiday; from 1 January 2026 it will be included in the statutory holiday list, meaning eligible employees must either be granted the day off with pay or statutory holiday pay in accordance with the Employment Ordinance.
HR should: update employee handbooks and HR policies, reconfigure payroll and attendance systems to include Easter Monday as a paid SH, and review 2026 shift patterns and manpower planning to avoid non compliance in sectors like retail, food and beverage and hospitality.
The new 468 rule for continuous employment
The 468 rule changes how “continuous contract” is assessed: instead of the traditional requirement of working at least 18 hours per week for 4 consecutive weeks, employees may qualify if they work an average weekly threshold (revised downwards) or reach a total of 68 working hours over any 4 week period for the same employer.
Once an employee is treated as under a continuous contract, they become entitled to key statutory benefits, including paid statutory holidays, paid annual leave, sickness allowance, maternity and paternity leave, and, where applicable, severance and long service payment.
Practical HR actions for 2026
- Audit your non‑full‑time workforce: map all part‑time, casual, temporary, and seasonal staff against their actual working hours over rolling 4‑week periods to identify who will likely qualify as continuous contract employees under the 468 rule.
- Update contracts and systems:
- Revise employment contract templates and outsourcing arrangements so that terms clearly reflect statutory holiday, continuous contract and benefit entitlements from 2026 onwards.
- Configure HRIS and payroll systems to track 4‑week/68‑hour thresholds and to automate statutory holiday pay (including Easter Monday) for eligible employees.
- Upskill managers and HR business partners: run training before Q1 2026 so line managers understand scheduling implications, cannot “game” hours to avoid continuous contracts, and know how to handle requests around statutory benefits and holiday pay.
