Tell your employer in writing, with the medical certificate
Maternity leave in Hong Kong is 14 weeks. To be paid for it you need to have been on a continuous contract with your employer for 40 weeks before the leave starts, and you have to give notice: tell your employer you are pregnant and intend to take maternity leave, and hand over a medical certificate confirming the pregnancy. Checked against labour.gov.hk on 21 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- People who are employed
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this usually between week 12 and week 14 of the pregnancy
- Official source
- labour.gov.hk
- Last checked
- 21 September 2026
What else to know
From the day that notice is given you are protected from dismissal until you return. The pay is four-fifths of your average wages for the 14 weeks. You can start the leave 2 to 4 weeks before the due date; if you say nothing, it starts 4 weeks before.
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