Hong Kong Public Holidays 2025

Public holidays play a crucial role in shaping a company’s culture. These designated days off represent more than just breaks from the regular work routine; they are important in fostering a balanced and inclusive workplace. 

Recognizing and appropriately managing public holidays is an essential part of HR functions, contributing to employee well-being, morale and legal compliance. As we welcome the new year, HR professionals need to keep track of the Hong Kong public holidays 2025, as they affect work schedules, payroll, leave management, and overall business productivity.

This comprehensive 2025 public holidays Hong Kong guide will provide you with important information on Hong Kong’s regular and special public holidays, employee entitlements and managing public holiday pay during these dates. 

How many Hong Kong public holidays 2025?

Understanding Hong Kong public holidays 2025 is essential to conducting business and ensuring proper workforce planning. It is worth noting that 2025 public holidays Hong Kong can vary by state, so do take note of regional variations. 

Here is the list of general 2025 public holidays Hong Kong:

• New Year's Day - 1 January 2025
• Lunar New Year's Day - 29 January 2025
• The second day of Lunar New Year - 30 January 2025
• The third day of Lunar New Year - 31 January 2025
• Ching Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) - 4 April 2025
• Good Friday - 18 April 2025
• The day following Good Friday (Holy Saturday) - 19 April 2025
• Easter Monday - 21 April 2025
• Labor Day - 1 May 2025
• The Birthday of the Buddha - 5 May 2025
• Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) - 31 May 2025
• Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day - 1 July 2025
• National Day - 1 October 2025
• The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival - 7 October 2025
• Chung Yeung Festival - 29 October 2025
• Christmas Day - 25 December 2025
• The first weekday after Christmas Day (Boxing Day) - 26 December 2025

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Navigating Hong Kong Public Holidays 2025 Pay

To ensure compliance with public holiday pay, it’s important to understand the provisions of the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57). Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know: 

Understanding the difference between statutory holidays and general holidays

Statutory holiday

These are the minimum number of paid holidays an employer must grant to eligible employees. The Employment Ordinance sets out 14 days of statutory holidays for each year as follows: 

• The first day of January    
• Lunar New Year’s Day    
• The second day of Lunar New Year    
• The third day of Lunar New Year    
• Ching Ming Festival    
• Labour Day    
• The Birthday of the Buddha    
• Tuen Ng Festival    
• Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day    
• The second day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival    
• National Day    
• Chung Yeung Festival    
• Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer)
• The first weekday after Christmas Day

General public holidays: There are 17 general 2025 public holidays Hong Kong. Employers are legally required to grant statutory holidays, but not necessarily all the general public holidays (refer to the list above).

Eligibility for 2025 public holidays Hong Kong pay

Holiday pay

Employees are entitled to holiday pay for a statutory holiday if they have been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 3 months immediately preceding that holiday. 

Day off

When it comes to days off, employees are entitled to take the statutory holiday as a day off regardless of whether they meet the 3-month service requirement for holiday pay mentioned above.

Working on statutory Hong Kong public holidays 2025

Employers can request employees to work on a statutory holiday, as long as they: 

• Give the employee at least 48 hours’ advance notice.
• Provide the employee with an alternative holiday within 60 days before or after the original statutory holiday.

It’s important to note that for 2025 public holidays Hong Kong, there’s no ‘buying out’ of holidays. Employers generally cannot pay employees to work on a statutory holiday (unless upon termination of the employment contract) instead of giving them a day off. An alternative day off must be provided. 

Determining pay for statutory Hong Kong public holidays 2025

If an employee is required to work on a statutory Hong Kong public holidays 2025, they are entitled to extra pay at a rate of not less than their ordinary rate of pay for one day’s work.

Employees with more than 12 months of service

In terms of daily rate, it is calculated as the average daily wages earned by the employee in the 12-month period before the statutory holiday. 

Example: 

• Sarah has been working for X Company for two years. The statutory holiday is Labor Day (1 May 2025). 
• Her total earnings in the 12-month period from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025 were HKD 240,000. 
• She worked a total of 300 days during this period (excluding rest days, holidays, and unpaid leave).

Average daily wages = total earnings in the past 12 months / number of working days in the past 12 months

• Sarah’s average daily wage = HKD 240,000 / 300 days = HKD 800

Outcome: Sarah’s holiday pay for Labor Day will be HKD 800.

Employees with less than 12 months of service

If less than 12 months, the 2025 public holidays Hong Kong pay calculation is based on the shorter period of employment.

Example: 

• John started working for X company on 15 January 2025. The statutory holiday is the Birthday of the Buddha (5 May 2025).
• His total earnings from 15 January 2025 to 4 May 2025 were HKD 60,000.
• He worked a total of 80 days during this period (excluding rest days, holidays, and unpaid leave).

Average daily wages = total earnings in the past 12 months / number of working days in the past 12 months

• John’s average daily wage = HKD 60,000 / 80 days = HKD 750

Outcome: John’s holiday pay for the Birthday of the Buddha will be HKD 750.

Omni tip: When calculating 2025 public holidays Hong Kong average daily wages, remember to exclude periods where the employee was not paid their full wages, such as rest days, annual leave, sick leave, and more.

What happens when statutory Hong Kong public holidays 2025 fall on a rest day? 

If a statutory holiday falls on a rest day, the employer should grant the next day as a holiday. This is not considered a statutory holiday but an alternative holiday, a substituted holiday, or a rest day.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Am I entitled to pay if Hong Kong public holidays 2025 fall on my normal working day?

For statutory holidays, you are entitled to holiday pay if you have worked for at least 3 months before the holiday. 

For general public holidays (not statutory holidays), there is no legal requirement for paid leave unless stipulated in the employment contract.

2. Do I still get a day off if I haven't worked for 3 months?

Yes. Regardless of whether you meet the 3-month service requirement for holiday pay, you are entitled to take a statutory holiday as a day off. The 3-month requirement is only applicable to the calculation of holiday pay for that day.

3. If Hong Kong public holidays 2025 fall on a Sunday, is the following Monday a holiday?

Not automatically. Whether a weekday is granted as a holiday depends on the specific holiday and government updates. For some holidays, a ‘substituted holiday’ on the next weekday is provided. You should refer to the official list of Hong Kong public holidays 2025 for updated information.

4. Are part-time employees entitled to public holiday pay?

Part-time employees who meet the 3-month requirement criteria are entitled to holiday pay for those statutory holidays. They are also entitled to take the statutory holiday as a day off, regardless of the 3-month requirement.

Managing Leave and Public Holiday Pay with Omni

Managing leave and Hong Kong public holidays 2025 is crucial at the workplace. Employers should communicate holiday schedules early, ensuring enough coverage during peak employee absence periods. Clear rules on holiday pay and time-off requests, especially during festive times, contribute to fair time-off management and payroll practices. 

Omni’s time-off management capabilities empower managers and HR teams to swiftly navigate employee leave applications. Our platform allows you to approve leave applications on the go and keep track of who’s in and out of the office with at-a-glance scheduling. 

Our employee self-service portal enables employees to submit their time-off requests, which automatically route to the appropriate manager thanks to customizable approval workflows. Automated calculations offer real-time leave balance visibility without the need for HR intervention.

Check out our employee time-off request form template!

For public holiday entitlements, Omni’s comprehensive payroll solution integrates seamlessly with leave management. Supporting HKD and offering automated public holiday pay, tax calculations, and managed contributions, Omni simplifies payroll processing while ensuring compliance.

Choose Omni to effortlessly manage your Hong Kong public holidays 2025 leave and entitlements, tailored to meet your evolving business needs. Book a demo with our team today to learn more.

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