Sick Leave in Hong Kong 2027: Paid Sick Days & Sickness Allowance

Hong Kong law doesn't give a fixed number of sick days. Instead, employees on a continuous contract build up paid sickness days: 2 for each completed month in the first 12 months, then 4 a month after that, up to 120 days. Statutory sickness allowance is four-fifths of your average daily wages and is only payable when you take at least 4 consecutive days of sick leave with a medical certificate. One or two days off sick is unpaid by law, though most professional employers pay full salary under the contract. Your employer cannot dismiss you on a paid sickness day.

This guide explains how paid sickness days build up, when you're paid, what a valid medical certificate looks like, the difference between statutory and contractual sick leave, and your protection from dismissal. For every other statutory right, see our Employment Ordinance guide.

How Does Sick Leave Work in Hong Kong?

There are two layers, and confusing them is behind most arguments with HR.

1. Statutory sickness allowance under the Employment Ordinance. This is the legal minimum: four-fifths pay, only for spells of 4 or more consecutive days, drawn from a bank of "paid sickness days" you accumulate.
2. Contractual sick leave, set by your employer. Many offices pay full salary for any genuine sick day, with a doctor's note for one day or more. This is a benefit, not a legal requirement, so it depends on your contract or staff handbook.

Your employer can be more generous than the law but never less. Any contract term that reduces your statutory rights is void, according to the Labour Department's Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance.

If you're job hunting and sick leave matters to you, ask about it at offer stage. Browse English-speaking jobs in Hong Kong on ExpatJobBoard.com. We list thousands of jobs that don't require Cantonese or Mandarin.

Who Qualifies for Paid Sick Leave?

You need to be employed under a continuous contract. From 18 January 2026 that means working for the same employer for at least four weeks, with at least 17 hours in each week or at least 68 hours over four weeks. (The old threshold was 18 hours a week.)

Source: Labour Department Concise Guide, December 2025 edition.

Part-timers who meet the hours test are covered on the same basis as full-time staff. Our part-time jobs guide explains the continuous contract test in more detail.

How Many Sick Days Do You Get in Hong Kong?

You accumulate paid sickness days for every completed month of service:

Source: Labour Department Concise Guide.

So the bank builds up like this (our calculation, assuming you take no sick leave):

This is why new joiners can be caught out: three months into a job you only have 6 paid sickness days, and they only pay out for a spell of 4 days or more.

Category 1 and Category 2 days

The first 36 days in your bank are Category 1; the next 84 are Category 2. You always use Category 1 first. The only practical difference is the paperwork: Category 1 always needs a medical certificate, while for Category 2 your employer can ask for a certificate from a doctor treating you as a hospital out-patient or in-patient, plus a brief record of tests and treatment.

How Much Is Sickness Allowance?

Sickness allowance is four-fifths (80%) of your average daily wages over the 12 months before the sick day (or before the first day, for a run of consecutive days). If you've worked less than 12 months, the average is over your shorter period of employment.

It must be paid no later than your normal pay day.

Example: You earn HK$36,500 a month (about HK$1,200 a day on a 365-day average). You are off sick for 5 consecutive days with a medical certificate and have enough paid sickness days.

• Daily sickness allowance: 4/5 × HK$1,200 = HK$960
• For 5 days: HK$4,800, instead of HK$6,000 of normal wages

If your contract promises full pay for sick leave, you get HK$6,000.

Is Sick Leave Paid for 1, 2 or 3 Days?

Not under the Employment Ordinance. Statutory sickness allowance is only payable if the sick leave lasts at least 4 consecutive days.

There is one exception: a single day off for a pregnancy check-up, post-natal treatment or a miscarriage counts as a paid sickness day, as long as you have the right certificate. For pregnancy check-ups, a certificate of attendance is enough.

In practice, most professional employers in Hong Kong pay full salary for shorter absences too, but that is a contractual benefit. If your contract or handbook says nothing, your employer can lawfully treat a one or two day absence as unpaid sick leave, even with a doctor's note.

What Counts as a Valid Medical Certificate?

For statutory sickness allowance, the certificate must be issued by:

• a registered medical practitioner,
• a registered Chinese medicine practitioner, or
• a registered dentist.

It should state the number of days you are unfit for work and the nature of the sickness or injury. Source: Labour Department Concise Guide.

A few practical points:

• Get the note on the day. Clinics in Hong Kong issue sick leave certificates routinely; ask for one before you leave.
• Company doctors. If your employer has a medical scheme recognised by the Director of Health and you refuse treatment from its doctor, or ignore the doctor's advice, without a reasonable excuse, you can lose sickness allowance for those days.
• Hospitalisation. Keep discharge summaries; they help with Category 2 days and insurance claims.

Can You Be Fired While on Sick Leave in Hong Kong?

Not on a paid sickness day, unless it is a summary dismissal for serious misconduct. An employer who does so commits an offence with a fine of up to HK$100,000, and must pay you within 7 days:

• wages in lieu of notice,
• an extra seven days' wages as compensation, and
• the sickness allowance you would have received.

Failing to pay sickness allowance without reasonable excuse carries a fine of up to HK$50,000.

Source: Labour Department Concise Guide.

The protection only covers days that qualify as paid sickness days. If you are on a short, unpaid absence, or have used up your bank, the protection doesn't apply in the same way, although dismissing someone because they are ill can still raise unreasonable or discriminatory dismissal issues.

Sick Leave During Probation

The statutory rules don't change on probation. You start accumulating paid sickness days from day one, but you'll have very few in your first months: 2 per completed month.

Some contracts say that contractual (full-pay) sick leave only starts after probation. Check before you start. Our probation period guide covers what else changes after you pass probation.

Sick Leave vs Annual Leave vs Work Injury

Days for which compensation is payable under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance don't count as sickness allowance days. For more on holidays, see our annual leave guide.

Is Hong Kong's Sick Leave Generous Compared With Other Cities?

Not by statute. Many expats from Europe or Australia are used to a set number of fully paid sick days from day one. Hong Kong's statutory scheme is a slow-building bank that pays 80%, and only after a spell of 4 days.

That's why the contractual policy and your medical insurance matter so much. When comparing offers, ask:

• How many paid sick days per year, and at what pay?
• Is a medical certificate required for one day?
• Is there long-term disability or income protection insurance?
• Does the medical plan cover outpatient visits, so getting a certificate costs you nothing?

Our Hong Kong health insurance guide explains what cover to look for, and our employment contract checklist covers the rest of the offer.

What to Do If Your Employer Won't Pay Sick Leave

1. Check your contract and handbook for the contractual policy.
2. Check the statutory test: continuous contract, at least 4 consecutive days, enough paid sickness days, valid medical certificate.
3. Raise it in writing with HR, quoting the Employment Ordinance.
4. Contact the Labour Department's Labour Relations Division for free consultation and conciliation.
5. File a claim at the Labour Tribunal if conciliation fails.

FAQs: Sick Leave in Hong Kong

How many sick days do you get in Hong Kong?

There is no fixed annual number. You earn 2 paid sickness days per completed month in your first year and 4 per month after that, up to a maximum balance of 120 days. Your contract may give you more.

Is sick leave paid in Hong Kong?

Yes, if you meet the conditions: a continuous contract, at least 4 consecutive days off sick, enough accumulated paid sickness days, and a medical certificate. Statutory pay is four-fifths of your average daily wages.

Is one day of sick leave paid in Hong Kong?

Not under the Employment Ordinance, except for pregnancy check-ups, post-natal treatment or miscarriage. Many employers pay it anyway under the contract, so check your policy.

Do I need a doctor's note for one day of sick leave in Hong Kong?

The law only requires a medical certificate for statutory sickness allowance, which needs at least 4 consecutive days. For shorter absences, it depends on your employer's policy. Most offices ask for a note for any day off sick.

Can my employer fire me while I am on sick leave?

Not on a paid sickness day, except for serious misconduct. Doing so is an offence with a fine of up to HK$100,000, and the employer must pay notice, seven days' extra wages and the sickness allowance.

Is sick leave paid during probation in Hong Kong?

The statutory scheme applies from your first day, so you start earning 2 paid sickness days per completed month. You'll have few days in your first months, and some contracts delay full-pay sick leave until after probation.

Can a Chinese medicine practitioner issue a sick leave certificate?

Yes. Certificates from registered Chinese medicine practitioners and registered dentists are accepted for statutory sickness allowance, as well as from registered medical practitioners.

Do unused sick days carry over in Hong Kong?

Yes. Paid sickness days keep accumulating from year to year up to 120 days. They are not paid out when you leave, though.

What is the difference between Category 1 and Category 2 sickness days?

The first 36 days in your bank are Category 1 and always need a medical certificate. The next 84 are Category 2, for which your employer can require a hospital doctor's certificate and a treatment record.

Do part-time workers get sick leave in Hong Kong?

Yes, if they are on a continuous contract: at least four weeks with the same employer and at least 17 hours a week, or 68 hours over four weeks, from 18 January 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Paid sickness days build up at 2 per completed month in year one, then 4 per month, up to 120 days.
• Statutory sickness allowance is 80% of average daily wages and needs at least 4 consecutive days off with a medical certificate.
• One to three days off sick is unpaid by law, unless your contract says otherwise; pregnancy check-ups are the exception.
• Certificates from registered doctors, Chinese medicine practitioners and dentists all qualify.
• Dismissal on a paid sickness day can bring a HK$100,000 fine plus notice pay and seven days' extra wages.
• From 18 January 2026, the continuous contract test is 17 hours a week or 68 hours over four weeks.

Find an Employer With a Better Sick Leave Policy

Statutory sick pay is the floor, not the norm, for professional roles. Browse English-speaking jobs in Hong Kong on ExpatJobBoard.com and look for employers whose benefits match what you need.