Termination Cost Calculator
Estimate the full statutory cost of ending a helper's contract — based on the Employment Ordinance and the Standard Employment Contract (ID 407).
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Taiwancoming soonEvery figure on this page follows Hong Kong law only. Other places calculate differently — do not use these numbers elsewhere.
1 · Contract details
Length of service: 2 yr 0 mo
2 · How the contract ends
3 · Leave, passage & adjustments
Default = the holiday was taken (or a substitute day given), nothing owed. Tick a day only if the helper worked it AND never got an alternative holiday — the holiday pay for it is still OWED and is paid out here. Winter Solstice / Christmas is one holiday at the employer's option.
First 3 months — tick the holidays the helper TOOK (day off)
First 3 months: the holiday must still be granted (no cash in lieu), but no holiday pay is owed before 3 months' service. Default = worked as normal (leave unticked). Tick = day was taken — deducts one day's wage pro-rata to that month's length (proportionate absence deduction, EO s.32(2)(a)).
2024
2025
2026
Holidays before 2024 have no official data here — settle them via Other adjustment.
Buy the ticket in the helper's name — it is provided in kind, not part of the cash settlement.
Contract summary
| Year | Period | Annual leave |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 20 Jul 2024 – 20 Jul 2026 | 7 days/yr |
| Total annual leave earned over the contract | 14 days | |
Statutory milestones
- Severance payment eligibility (24 months)Reached on 20 Jul 2026
- Long service payment eligibility (5 years)Not reached — from 20 Jul 2029
Key dates for this termination
- Give 1-month written notice on or beforeGiving it later means paying the shortfall as money in lieu.21 Jun 2026
- Pay ALL termination items by27 Jul 2026
- Both parties notify Immigration (ID 407E / letter) by27 Jul 2026
- Helper must leave Hong Kong byTwo-week rule: 14 days from termination or the end of her permitted stay, whichever is earlier. Changing employer without leaving is normally NOT allowed except in ImmD-recognised exceptional cases.3 Aug 2026
Estimated settlement
Return flight
Buy the ticket in the helper's name — it is provided in kind, not part of the cash settlement.
Paid by ticket
Notice in lieu owed by the helper
− 1 month's wages × unserved resignation notice
− (HK$5,100 × 1) = −HK$5,100
−HK$5,100
Untaken annual leave pay
days × average daily wage (monthly × 12 ÷ 365)
(14 − 0) × HK$5,100 × 12 ÷ 365 = HK$2,347.4
HK$2,347
Severance payment
Not applicable
—
Long service payment
Not applicable
—
Food & travelling allowance
HK$100 × journey days
HK$100 × 1 = HK$100
HK$100
Estimated total
−HK$2,653
Disclaimer: this calculator is for REFERENCE ONLY and is not legal advice. Laws and statutory rates change — the figures here may be outdated or inaccurate. Always verify against the latest Labour Department / Immigration Department rules and confirm with the Labour Department before any settlement.
- Plus outstanding wages up to the last working day (depends on your pay cycle — not included above).
- Severance payment and long service payment are mutually exclusive — a helper never receives both.
- No severance or long service payment is due if you offered, in writing and at least 7 days before the contract ended, to renew or re-engage the helper and she unreasonably refused.
- Severance: the helper claims in writing within 3 months of dismissal and you pay within 2 months of the claim. Long service payment: due within 7 days of termination.
- Also check: end-of-year payment (if the contract provides one), food allowance arrears (HK$1,236/month when no free food), reimbursement of the helper's ID 407 clause-8 fees against receipts, outstanding medical costs, sickness allowance — use Other adjustment or the receipt's wages/food rows.
- Foreign domestic helpers are exempt from MPF, so MPF offsetting does not apply.
- Both parties must notify the Immigration Department in writing within 7 days of early termination.
- Based on the Employment Ordinance and the Labour Department FDH guide (verified Jul 2026).
What each item means — and how to pay it
Payment in lieu of notice
Either side may end the contract with one month's WRITTEN notice. If the employer gives less than a full month, the shortfall is paid as cash wages instead — a mix of part-served notice plus part payment is fine.
Untaken annual leave pay
Paid annual leave the helper earned in PREVIOUS leave years but never took. It must be converted to cash on termination — it cannot be forfeited.
Pro-rata annual leave pay
Leave earned in the CURRENT leave year (needs 3+ months served): this year's entitlement × months ÷ 12, minus any current-year days already taken. Paid as cash.
Severance payment / Long service payment
Statutory lump sums — severance for redundancy (2+ years), long service payment for 5+ years. Only ONE can ever apply, and only when the employer ends or doesn't renew the contract — never on resignation or dismissal for cause.
Return flight
The contract obliges you to provide FREE return passage to the helper's place of origin. Best practice: buy the actual air ticket in the helper's name rather than handing over cash — the obligation is a passage, not a sum of money, and the booking is your proof. Give cash only if both sides agree in writing.
Food & travelling allowance
HK$100 per day of the journey home, for food and travelling. This part IS paid in cash, on top of the ticket.
Payment reminders
- Pay ALL termination items (wages, notice money, leave pay) within 7 days after the contract ends — late payment accrues interest and is an offence. Severance may follow later: within 2 months of the helper's written claim.
- Pay by a traceable method (bank transfer / FPS / cheque) and have the helper sign an itemised settlement breakdown. Keep a copy — it protects both sides.
- Don't deduct 'costs' (agency fees, broken items, ticket price) from the statutory amounts — unauthorised deductions from wages are an offence.