![2026 Labour Holidays] A must for employers and employees! The latest list of 2026 public holidays and statutory holidays](https://setuphk.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2026-statutory-holiday-1.webp)
2026 Labour Holidays] A must for employers and employees! Latest 2026 Labour Holidays and General Holidays (with latest statutory holidays list)
Want to know about Hong Kong public holidays and labour holidays in 2026? This article compiles a complete list of holidays with the latest statutory holiday comparison table and FAQs to facilitate employers and employees to plan their work and leave arrangements in advance.
2026 List of Labour Holidays (Statutory)
The labour holidays in 2026 are as follows:
| statutory holidays | dates |
| 1 January (New Year's Day) | 1 January (Thu) |
| Lunar New Year's Day | 17 February (Tue) |
| The second day of the Lunar New Year | 18 February (Wed) |
| The third day of the Lunar New Year | 19 February (Thu) |
| Qingming or Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day (in early April) | 5 April (Sun) |
| Easter | 6 April (I) |
| Labour Day | 1 May (Fri) |
| Buddha's Birthday | 24th May (Sun) |
| Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month) | 19 June (Fri) |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day | 1 July (Wed) |
| The day following the Mid-Autumn Festival | 26 September (Sat) |
| National Day | 1 October (Thu) |
| Chung Yeung Festival | 18 October (Sun) |
| Winter or Christmas (employer's choice) | 22 December (Tue) or 25 December (Fri) |
| First Sunday after Christmas | 26th December (Sat) |
15 statutory holidays in 2026
In Hong Kong, "statutory holidays" are generally referred to as "red days" or "labour holidays".
According to theEmployment OrdinanceIn addition, all employees are entitled to 12 days of statutory holidays a year, irrespective of the length of employment and whether they have signed a continuous contract, and even foreign domestic helpers are also entitled to the same holidays.
However, starting from 2022, the number of labour holidays is being increased gradually by one day every two years, so there will be a total of 15 days of holidays in 2026, and it is expected that the number will be expanded to 17 days in 2030.
Implementation timetable for statutory holidays in Hong Kong
The number of statutory holidays has been gradually increased from 12 to 17. The following table shows the estimated five additional statutory holidays and the progress of implementation:
| commencement date | statutory holidays |
| 2022/1/1 | Buddha's Birthday (Implemented) |
| 2024/1/1 | First Sunday after Christmas (Boxing Day) (Implemented) |
| 2026/1/1 | Easter Monday (to be implemented) |
| 2028/1/1 | Good Friday |
| 2030/1/1 | The day following Good Friday |
2026 List of General Holidays (Bank Holidays)
The public holidays for 2026 are as follows:
| Public Holidays | dates |
| 1 January (New Year's Day) | 1 January (Thu) |
| Lunar New Year's Day | 17 February (Tue) |
| The second day of the Lunar New Year | 18 February (Wed) |
| The third day of the Lunar New Year | 19 February (Thu) |
| Good Friday | 3 April (Fri) |
| The day following Good Friday | 4 April (Sat) |
| The day following Ching Ming Festival | 6 April (I) |
| The day following Easter Monday | 7 April (Tue) |
| Labour Day | 1 May (Fri) |
| The day following Buddha's Birthday | 25 May (I) |
| Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month) | 19 June (Fri) |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day | 1 July (Wed) |
| The day following the Mid-Autumn Festival | 26 September (Sat) |
| National Day | 1 October (Thu) |
| The day following Chung Yeung Festival | 19 October (I) |
| Christmas | 25th December (Fri) |
| First Sunday after Christmas | 26th December (Sat) |
A spokesman for the Hong Kong Government said, "As the Ching Ming Festival in 2026 falls on a Sunday, the day following that day will be designated as a supplementary holiday. In this connection, as the day following the Ching Ming Festival falls on Easter Monday, the first day after that day which is not a general holiday will be designated as an additional general holiday. Also, as the Buddha's Birthday and Chung Yeung Festival in 2026 will both fall on a Sunday, the day following these two days will be designated as a supplementary holiday.".
Employers Must Know: Frequently Asked Questions on Statutory Holidays
What are the targets of statutory holidays?
All employees are entitled to statutory holidays regardless of their length of service or contractual status.
If an employee has been in continuous employment for three months, he/she will be entitled to holiday pay, calculated on the basis of his/her average daily wage for the 12 months preceding the holiday.
Can I ask my employees to work on statutory holidays?
Yes, you can! But there are a few things employers need to be aware of:
The Employer must give at least 48 hours' notice, either in writing, orally or by posting a notice.
The "Alternative Holidays" shall not overlap with other statutory holidays or substitute holidays.
The employer and the employee may also agree to arrange for the leave to be taken within 30 days before or after.
In addition, employers must arrange alternative leave for employees, that is, the so-called "alternative holiday", within 60 days before or after the statutory holiday.
Can I work on statutory holidays without compensatory time off and be paid overtime instead?
No way! According to the Employment Ordinance, compensatory time off must be given for work on statutory holidays, which cannot be replaced by overtime pay, and offenders are liable to a fine of HK$50,000 for non-compliance.
Do I need to take compensatory leave if my statutory holidays overlap with my rest days?
If a statutory holiday falls on an employee's rest day, he/she is required to take compensatory leave on the day following his/her rest day; if two consecutive days fall on a statutory holiday, he/she is required to make separate arrangements for compensatory leave.
Must Know for Employees: Frequently Asked Questions on Statutory Holidays
Do I always get paid for my rest days?
Not necessarily! The availability of remuneration depends on the prevailing employment agreement.
Can an employer require an employee to work for more than seven consecutive days?
No! By law, an employee must be entitled to at least one rest day in every seven-day period.
Moreover, the employer cannot use the arrangement for employees to work on rest days as a condition for granting bonuses or year-end bonuses, otherwise the agreement will be considered invalid! However, both parties can agree on the arrangements for rest days.
Why is the number of statutory holidays different from that of bank holidays?
Hong Kong is gradually increasing the number of statutory holidays to 17, which will be fully aligned by 2030.
Not sure about Hong Kong's statutory holidays? Lafont Business Consultancy provides professional advice
To many employers or human resources departments, the statutory holiday provisions in Hong Kong involve the Employment Ordinance, which is full of details, and the slightest negligence may lead to breaches of the law or labour disputes.
If you are unsure of how to properly handle the holiday arrangements for your company's employees, the team at Lonfont Business Consultants has many years of experience in providing expert assistance in interpreting the law and providing appropriate solutions, making it easy for you to safeguard your business's compliant operation, as well as protecting the rights and trust of your employees.