Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, after attending Care the Carers Campaign – Carer-friendly Commendation Ceremony this afternoon (January 13):

Reporter: With regard to the new "468" (new "continuous contract" requirement under Employment Ordinance) employment rule, how would that better safeguard part-timers' rights and how would the government respond to those who remain exploited under the new rule, and what protection mechanisms are in place?

Secretary for Labour and Welfare: The new "468" arrangement will come into force on January 18. This is going to be a very clear improvement over the existing arrangement, what we now call "418" as the existing "continuous contract" requirement under the Employment Ordinance. The major improvement is in the calculation of working hours. Under the existing "continuous contract" requirement, the major concern for quite a number of employees is that their working hours for three consecutive weeks are quite long, with very short working hours in the fourth week, and they do not meet the "continuous contract" requirement. 

     However, once we have changed to "468", that would no longer be the case. If counting for over a period of four weeks, employees will meet the new "continuous contract" requirements if they worked for the employer concerned for 68 hours or more. The employers have to provide a full suite of privileges under the requirements of the Employment Ordinance. I think this is what we are trying to achieve. And for that change, it is achieved through a long discussion at the Labour Advisory Board, with the consensus agreement from both employee and employer members, and then we implement it through amendment to the Employment Ordinance.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Ends/Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:51

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