Termination

Quick Answer

Severance Pay applies after 24+ months of service if the helper is dismissed or not renewed due to redundancy. Long Service Payment applies after 5+ years if the contract ends for reasons other than redundancy or serious misconduct. Both are calculated at 2/3 of the last monthly salary per year of service, capped at HK$390,000.

Quick Answer

Yes — like any employee, your helper can terminate the contract by giving one month's notice or paying one month's wages in lieu. After termination, the two-week rule applies: she must leave Hong Kong or secure a new employer within 14 days.

Quick Answer

The window opens four weeks before the current contract expires — not earlier, and not only after it ends (immd.gov.hk). Submission must be made in person at the Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, with the helper's original passport. GMA can lodge it for you as your authorised representative.

Quick Answer

You are not liable for her debt. A licensed money lender may not pursue anyone who is not legally indebted, and even a referee is never liable for repayment. Complain to the lender and to the Companies Registry Money Lenders Section (2867 2634) or the Police. Breaching the licensing conditions carries up to a $100,000 fine and 2 years' imprisonment.

Quick Answer

Either party may end a domestic helper contract early by giving one month's written notice, or paying one month's wages in lieu. Both employer and helper must notify the Immigration Department within 7 days using Form ID407E. The employer must also settle all outstanding wages, untaken annual leave, and the helper's return airfare.

Quick Answer

At termination, employers must pay all outstanding wages, one month's wages in lieu of notice (if notice was not given), all untaken annual leave, and the helper's return airfare. After 24 months of service, Severance Pay may apply; after 5 years, Long Service Payment may apply.

Quick Answer

When a helper's contract ends, the helper's visa is no longer valid for that employer. The helper must leave Hong Kong within two weeks of termination — or before their visa expires, whichever is sooner. Remaining beyond this point is a criminal offence, with penalties of up to HK$50,000 and two years' imprisonment.

Quick Answer

Yes — but only after the current contract is formally terminated. The helper and current employer must end the employment with 1 month's notice or wages in lieu, the employer notifies IMMD via ID407E within 7 days, and then the new employer applies for a fresh FDH visa. The two-week rule applies from the day of termination.

Quick Answer

Summary dismissal means ending a helper's contract immediately, without notice or payment in lieu. It is only lawful for serious misconduct: willful disobedience, dishonesty, fraud, or habitual neglect of duties. Outstanding wages and return airfare must still be paid — only the notice pay obligation is removed.