Paternity leave: five days, and three months' notice to take it freely
Fathers get 5 days of paternity leave at four-fifths pay, to be taken any time from 4 weeks before the due date to 14 weeks after the birth, in one block or spread out. The paperwork rule is the one that catches people: if your partner tells the employer at least 3 months before the expected date of delivery that he intends to take it, he can then take the days with no further notice; otherwise each day needs 5 days' notice. Checked against labour.gov.hk on 21 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- People who have a partner going through it with them and are employed
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this usually between week 24 and week 26 of the pregnancy
- Official source
- labour.gov.hk
- Last checked
- 21 September 2026
What else to know
The pay needs 40 weeks of continuous employment before the leave.
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