Choosing HR software in Hong Kong used to be about which dashboard looked nicest. In 2026, it is a compliance decision: MPF contributions, the eMPF Platform and statutory leave rules that keep shifting while you sleep.
Most small teams here run lean payroll. One person, often the founder, juggles hiring, MPF enrolment, leave records and wages beside a full-time job. A single missed contribution or miscalculated holiday can cost hours of rework and, worse, penalties.
The stakes keep climbing. The MPFA migrated scheme administration onto the centralised eMPF Platform in phases from 2024, with the last scheme joining in April 2026, and statutory figures, including the minimum wage, were revised again this year. Software that once felt optional now looks like standard kit for a Hong Kong payroll team.
In this blog, we discuss what eMPF integration really means. We cover the MPF, statutory leave and payroll features a small Hong Kong team needs. We also list five practical tests to run before you sign any subscription.
What Should HR Software in Hong Kong Do for MPF and eMPF?
At a minimum, it should calculate mandatory contributions, track enrolment deadlines and scheme membership, and hand clean data to the eMPF Platform.
Start with the regulator. The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) oversees Hong Kong's retirement savings system. Under its rules, most new employees must be enrolled in a scheme within their first 60 days.
For regular monthly-paid employees, employers generally contribute 5 per cent of relevant income, subject to the monthly ceiling; special rules apply to casual construction and catering workers. Employees contribute 5 per cent too, once monthly income reaches HK$7,100. For monthly-paid employees, both sides' mandatory contributions are capped at HK$1,500 each, based on the HK$30,000 monthly income ceiling. Ask each vendor to confirm the current bands, because thresholds are reviewed periodically.
A few groups sit outside MPF. They include domestic employees and employees in most other industries whose employment lasts fewer than 60 days; casual construction and catering workers are covered even for shorter engagements. Casual construction and catering workers can also follow special MPFA industry-scheme rules. For regular employees, the contribution holiday covers the first 30 days and can extend further depending on the wage period; employer contributions are calculated from day one, while casual construction and catering employees have no contribution holiday. A good system should flag these cases automatically rather than let you over-contribute.
This bites founders early. Many who register a company in Hong Kong face their first MPF deadline within weeks of hiring employee number one. They often have no finance function behind them yet.
Then there is the eMPF Platform. The MPFA moved scheme administration onto this centralised system in phases from 2024, with the last scheme joining in April 2026. The direction of travel is unmistakable. Contribution data flows through one pipe, and your software should feed it without manual re-entry.
MPF Numbers Your HR Software Must Handle in 2026
| Requirement | Figure at the time of writing | What good software does |
|---|---|---|
| Employer contribution | 5% of relevant income | Calculates it for every covered employee, every month |
| Employee contribution | 5%, at or above the HK$7,100 monthly floor | Withholds correctly and flags exempt staff |
| Income ceiling | HK$30,000 a month | Caps each side's mandatory contribution at HK$1,500 |
| Enrolment deadline | Within 60 days of starting | Flags new hires and generates forms |
| Contribution deadline | 10th day after the month ends | Reminds you before surcharges can accrue |
Which Statutory Leave Features Should You Test Before You Buy?
Test statutory holidays, annual leave, sickness allowance and parental leave, because these edge cases are where lightweight tools fail first.
Leave sounds simple until a statutory holiday lands on a Sunday. From 18 January 2026, a continuous contract generally requires at least four weeks with the same employer and at least 17 hours worked each week. A week with fewer than 17 hours can also qualify if it and the preceding three weeks total at least 68 hours. Your software should track all of it without prompting.
1. Statutory holiday tracking
Hong Kong steps up statutory holidays every two years. The count is 14 days from 2024 and 15 days from 1 January 2026, on a legislated path towards 17, rising to 16 in 2028 and 17 in 2030. All employees are entitled to statutory holidays. Holiday pay requires at least three months under a continuous contract immediately before the holiday.
If a holiday falls on a rest day, the holiday moves to the next day. That next day cannot be a rest day, statutory holiday, alternative holiday or substituted holiday. If an employee must work on a statutory holiday, an alternative holiday is arranged within 60 days before or after. At least 48 hours' notice is required before the alternative holiday if it comes first, or before the statutory holiday if the alternative holiday comes later. By agreement, a substituted holiday may instead be taken within 30 days before or after the statutory or alternative holiday. Test these arrangements and the 2026 calendar.
2. Annual leave accrual
Staff under a continuous contract earn 7 days of paid annual leave after their first year, rising gradually to 14 according to length of service. A capable system applies pro-rata rules where required for mid-year joiners and leavers, and shows every employee a live balance without a spreadsheet.
3. Sickness allowance
Paid sickness days accrue under a continuous contract: two per completed month in the first year and four thereafter, capped at 120. Sickness allowance generally requires sufficient accrued days, an appropriate medical certificate and at least four consecutive sick days; exceptions apply to certain pregnancy-related absences. The allowance is four-fifths of average daily wages, and a late-entered claim should recalculate prior wage periods automatically.
4. Maternity and paternity leave
Eligible mothers are entitled to 14 weeks' maternity leave, and eligible fathers to 5 days' paternity leave. Pay is generally four-fifths of average daily wages for eligible employees, with maternity leave pay for the 11th to 14th weeks capped at HK$80,000. Maternity leave pay generally requires at least 40 weeks under a continuous contract before the scheduled leave. It also needs notice and any required medical certificate. Paternity leave pay requires 40 weeks before the leave day and the required documentation. Test notifications, medical-proof workflows and the employment protection that surrounds the leave.
Statutory Leave Figures to Verify in 2026
| Leave type | Entitlement to check | Test before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory holidays | 15 days a year from 1 January 2026 | Auto-substitution when a holiday lands on a rest day |
| Annual leave | 7 days after year one, rising to 14 | Pro-rated accrual for mid-year joiners and leavers |
| Sickness allowance | Four-fifths of daily wages; days accrue monthly | Retroactive recalculation of past wage periods |
| Maternity leave | 14 weeks at four-fifths of wages | Calendar hold, notice forms and reinstatement flags |
| Paternity leave | 5 days at four-fifths of wages | Approval workflow linked to payroll |
What Payroll Features Does a Small Hong Kong Team Actually Need?
Prioritise minimum wage compliance, complete wage records and automated IRD reporting, because these are the duties small employers most often stumble over.
Wages in Hong Kong start with a statutory floor. From 1 May 2026, the minimum wage is HK$43.10 an hour, up from HK$42.10, and it is reviewed annually. The Labour Department's Concise Guide to Statutory Minimum Wage sets out the arithmetic employers must follow.
The rule applies to hourly, part-time and casual workers alike, including staff outside continuous contracts. Only a few groups, such as live-in domestic helpers and certain student interns, fall outside its scope.
Record-keeping follows the money. For employees covered by the minimum wage, employers must record total hours worked, including part hours, when wages for the wage period are below the applicable cap: HK$17,600 for a calendar month, adjusted proportionally for other wage periods and excluding payments for time not worked. Suitable software captures this automatically and stores it in a searchable archive.
Tax reporting is the third pillar. The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) requires payroll records to be kept for at least seven years. Its annual Employer's Return, Form BIR56A with IR56B forms for reportable employees where required, is normally issued in April and due within one month of issue. For staff changes, IR56E is due within three months of a new hire starting; IR56F is due at least one month before an employee ceases employment; IR56G is due at least one month before an employee departs Hong Kong. Ask the vendor to produce all three forms straight from your system.
Many local teams, from shops to studios to F&B, hire casual staff for peak seasons. Hourly pay logic and leave pro-rating matter most for them. Our bookkeeping strategies for seasonal businesses cover the cash-flow side of the same hiring pattern.
Payroll Compliance Duties to Automate in 2026
| Obligation | Current rule | Feature to demand |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory minimum wage | HK$43.10 per hour from 1 May 2026 | Automatic recalculation for hourly-paid staff |
| Hours-worked records | Required below HK$17,600 in monthly wages | Total-hours logging, including part hours |
| Payroll record retention | At least 7 years | Searchable, exportable archive |
| Annual Employer's Return | BIR56A with IR56B, due within one month of issue | One-click data export for every employee |
| Staff change notifications | IR56E within 3 months of starting; IR56F and IR56G on exit | Automatic triggers and pre-filled forms |
How Do You Test HR Software Before Committing to a Subscription?
Run a dummy month with your real headcount, then force backdated changes, an eMPF-format submission and a termination, before you pay a cent.
Demos always work flawlessly. Your trial should recreate the messy realities of a Hong Kong payroll month. Use these five steps as your script.
Step 1: Run a dummy payroll month
Load three or four test employees: one salaried, one hourly at minimum wage, one joining mid-month. Pay them and check every payslip, MPF line and leave balance against your own workings.
Step 2: Force a retroactive change
Enter a backdated sickness allowance and a pay rise effective mid-month. If the system cannot recalculate prior wage periods and show the differences clearly, move on.
Step 3: Test the eMPF submission path
Ask the vendor to demonstrate a contribution file formatted for the eMPF Platform, and how errors are flagged. Confirm whether they submit on your behalf or you export and upload yourself.
Step 4: Simulate a resignation
Terminate a test employee and inspect the final payment: outstanding wages, relevant leave balances and the MPF paperwork. Dates and rounding should follow local rules, not a generic template.
Step 5: Check records, access and pricing
Confirm you can export seven years of history in readable files. Review who can change pay, and how personal data is handled under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO). Finally, price your next two years of headcount, including implementation and support.
Where Can You Find the Best HR Software in Hong Kong?
Start from a vetted shortlist, then score every vendor against the MPF, leave and payroll tests above.
We keep an updated guide to the best HR software in Hong Kong, alongside our wider Best in Hong Kong series and business directory. Prioritise vendors with local clients your size, genuine MPF and eMPF support, and help desks that answer during Hong Kong working hours.
Complex migrations may involve multiple legacy systems or years of historical records. A systems integrator in Hong Kong can run the project while you keep trading. It is money well spent if your payroll data is tangled.
Prefer to talk it through first? Our contact page connects you with the team behind these guides, and we are always glad to hear where your team is heading. All legal figures in this guide were last verified in November 2026 against current MPFA, Labour Department and IRD guidance.
Conclusion
Choosing HR software in Hong Kong now comes down to two questions. Can it handle MPF and the eMPF Platform without manual re-entry? And will it track statutory leave and payroll figures correctly through 2026 and beyond? Test both with a dummy month before you subscribe.
Hold every vendor to the numbers in this guide:
- HK$43.10 minimum wage from 1 May 2026
- HK$17,600 hours-record threshold
- 15 statutory holidays
- MPF deadlines
- IRD's seven-year record rule
A tool that passes those checks will save you real hours every month.
Hong Kong Brand exists to help local businesses find their people and their tools. Explore our guide to the best HR software in Hong Kong, browse the directory, or drop us a line about your own journey.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Employers with MPF-scheme staff must remit contributions, and the process has been centralised on the eMPF Platform. Ask vendors to demonstrate a platform-format submission during your trial, whether they file for you or export data for you to upload.
From 1 May 2026 it is HK$43.10 per hour, up from HK$42.10, and it is reviewed annually. Employers must also record total hours worked, including part hours, when applicable wages are below HK$17,600 for a calendar month; the cap is adjusted for other wage periods and excludes payments for time not worked.
Fifteen, following the step-up from 14 days in 2024, on a legislated path towards 17. When a statutory holiday falls on a rest day, the holiday is granted on the next day that is not a rest day, statutory holiday, alternative holiday or substituted holiday. Holiday pay requires at least three months under a continuous contract immediately before the holiday.
Generally within the first 60 days for regular employees; casual construction and catering workers generally have a 10-day enrolment period where enrolment is required. For monthly-paid employees, contributions are generally due on the 10th of the following month. First contributions and deadline extensions follow special rules. Monthly-paid employees earning under HK$7,100 contribute nothing themselves, but employer contributions still apply.
Some global platforms support Hong Kong law, but many treat it as an afterthought. Before subscribing, confirm MPF calculations, eMPF-format submissions, 15 statutory holidays, local leave rules and HKD payslips, then run a dummy payroll to verify.
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