Annual Leave Calculator (HK)
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Calculate Hong Kong annual leave — the Employment Ordinance scale: 7 days after year one, +1/year from year three, to 14 days at year nine, paid at ADW, with the leave-in-lieu and payout rules.
Quick answer: HK statutory leave: 7 days (years 1-2), 8 (yr 3), 9 (yr 4)... +1 per year to 14 days (yr 9+) — modest by global standards; paid at the 713 ADW. Unused statutory leave beyond 10 days can partially cash out; all accrued leave pays out at termination.
The Scale
| Years of service | Statutory days |
|---|---|
| 1 - 2 | 7 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 9 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 11 |
| 7 | 12 |
| 8 | 13 |
| 9+ | 14 |
Leave vests per completed 12-month year, taken within the following 12 months at employer-designated times (14 days’ notice) — consecutive-day rules protect blocks (3+ day entitlements must allow consecutive taking). Contractual leave above the floor (15-25 days in professional HK) runs on contract terms.
Worked Examples
Example 1. 5 completed years: 10 statutory days, paid at ADW — $1,000 ADW → $10,000 of leave value.
Example 2 — cash-out limits. Only leave beyond 10 days may be exchanged for pay by agreement — the first 10 must be TAKEN; "we’ll pay you instead" for the base entitlement is an offence.
Example 3 — exit. Pro-rata leave for the final partial year (3+ months served) pays out at termination alongside untaken vested days.
Context
7-14 days is among the developed world’s thinnest statutory floors (the perennial LegCo reform topic — track amendments); the real HK leave picture is contractual. The 14 statutory holidays (expanding to 17 by 2030) pad the calendar; ADW prices every leave day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much annual leave in Hong Kong?
Statutory: 7 days after the first year, rising one day per year from year 3 to a maximum 14 days at 9+ years — contracts usually exceed this.
Can annual leave be cashed out?
Only the portion beyond 10 days, by mutual agreement — paying instead of granting the base entitlement is an offence.
What rate is leave paid at?
The 713 ADW — 12-month average daily wages including commissions and OT patterns.
Is unused leave paid at termination?
Yes — untaken vested days plus pro-rata for the final year (3+ months served) at ADW.
Who schedules the leave?
The employer designates timing after consultation with 14 days’ written notice — entitlements of 3+ days must allow consecutive taking.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026