As we approach the end of 2025, many employers will be finalising their books with bonus season just around the corner.
Join our limited two-part online series to refresh your understanding of the legal framework, market practice and strategic possibilities surrounding employee bonuses in Hong Kong.
Our Part 1 session (to be held on 22 October 2025) demystifies bonus fundamentals where we will unpack the building blocks of bonus entitlements to help you build a strong foundation for your organisation’s bonus strategy. We will cover statutory end of year payments (also known as 13th-month or double pay), contractual and discretionary schemes and the leading cases that shape employers’ obligations.
Our Part 2 session (to be held on 3 December 2025) moves from doctrine to deployment, offering practical strategies for leveraging incentive pay in today’s talent market. We will explore how sign-on bonuses, deferred or claw-back-linked incentives can be used to attract and retain talent, and reinforce compliance with contractual restrictions and effectively manage challenging employee departures. Register to attend here.
In a rapidly evolving market where remuneration strategy is critical to attracting and retaining talent, a clear understanding of the legal parameters governing bonuses is indispensable. This session will provide practical, up-to-date guidance on the principal categories of bonuses, the statutory and contractual framework that regulates them, and relevant case laws on when a “discretionary” bonus is, in fact, discretionary.
Our expert speakers will take a comprehensive look into:
- the different types of bonuses commonly used in Hong Kong, such as end of year payments (annual contractual bonuses), discretionary bonuses, sign-on bonuses, etc.
- the statutory rules governing end-of-year payments under the Employment Ordinance and common compliance errors.
- case laws on discretionary bonuses, with a focus on how the courts interpret express and implied contractual terms and the limits on an employer’s power to withhold payment.
There will also be a live Q&A session at the conclusion of the webinar.
1 CPD point is applied for (pending approval of The Law Society of Hong Kong).
If you have any queries, or have a colleague who would like to attend, please contact our events team.