The Hong Kong government has tightened the rules for non-local work scheme, targeting the food and beverage (F&B) sector, which has the largest number of imported workers in the city.
Starting Tuesday, employers in the hospitality industry must adhere to a stricter staffing ratio of three domestic workers for every imported worker, the government said on monday.
Roles affected include chefs, sous chefs, waiters, receptionists, brewers and bar supervisors.
F&B businesses looking to import labor must also undergo a six-week local recruitment period – up from the current four-week requirement. During the six weeks, employers are required to attend a job fair designated by the Department of Labor once every two weeks.
Currently, employers must maintain only a 2:1 ratio of full-time domestic employees to imported workers.
Monday’s revamp follows a government review of the “Enhanced Supplementary Work Scheme”, which was introduced in September 2023 to tackle a workforce crisis caused by an aging population and economic changes.
The revamped scheme will not affect the other types of jobs allowed to import workers, which will maintain the current 2:1 ratio and four-week local recruitment window.
The update also aims to stimulate the employment of local workers with disabilities. To encourage this, employers will be given a 1:1 ratio between domestic workers with disabilities and imported workers.
To protect the local workforce, employers are still required to pay imported workers a wage not less than the average monthly wage for their respective positions.
Since February, the last period for which data is available, authorities had approved a total of more than 102,000 non-local workers under the scheme. The F&B sector accounts for the largest share, with around 42,000 workers.
The Labor Department (LD) had received nearly 1,000 complaints about the scheme since February, with many lodged against F&B employers and some leading to official sanctions.
For example, in August last year, a Chinese restaurant was the importation of workers is prohibited for two years after authorities discovered the company fired local employees to hire non-local workers.
“LD will strengthen the administrative sanctions imposed on employers with serious violations,” the government said on Monday.
Businesses with multiple violations will be excluded from the work scheme for up to five years, the government said.
“To strengthen prevention, LD will also publish the identity of all employers who have been subject to administrative sanctions,” he added.
