Female employees in Hong Kong will be entitled to longer periods of maternity leave and pay under measures passed by the Legislative Council on 9 Jul 2020. The measures feature in Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019 that is expected to take effect later in 2020. Women are eligible for maternity leave if they have been employed under a continuous contract for at least 40 weeks immediately prior to taking scheduled maternity leave.
The law is part of the government’s commitment to implement the recommendations of the “Family Friendly Employment Policy.” Other measures, effective 19 Jun 2021, expand the protection of women who are breastfeeding or who are expressing breast milk from direct and indirect discrimination and victimization. A separate bill that would prohibit harassment on grounds of breastfeeding was published in January 2020 and, if agreed to, will take effect on 19 Jun 2021.
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