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Employment Contract advice

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    8

    Question Employment Contract advice

    Hi,

    I am a Brit who has been offered a job in HK. I have been given a salary offer and I am working out terms of the contract.

    I see that the HK labour law states that a 7 day notice period is required for termination of your contract but is it normal for this to be a standard part of an expat contract? Personally, I would prefer a longer notice period so that I'm not "left in the lurch", if for any reason they decided to terminate the contract.

    Also, have other expats formed agreements in their contract which obliges the employer to cover costs of repatriation if the employer were to terminate the contract?

    I want to ensure I cover all angles as I will be the main breadwinner with a young child.

    Thanks in advance for your advice/experiences.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Old London Town
    Posts
    186

    Definitely if you are moving overseas for the role, you should be negotiating a much longer termination period than the minimum provided by the ordinance. I'd be going line by line through the contract and ensuring everything being offered is above minimum employment ordinance requirements.

    Mine for example is 3 months notice (both ways). I've also got repatriation but this is company policy due to the large number of expats that come through here.

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  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323

    If your firm is an overseas firm, you should be looking for 2 months notice, help with moving here (incl a month in hotel on arrival, flights, a container shipping) and repatriation at end, medical insurance for family. You may be able to negotiate housing allowance (at minimum ensure they allow you to split your salary into two for housing purposes to minimise tax); debenture for school (less common, but very handy if you have a school age child) and possibly flights home once a year.

    Also look at your holidays - you should be able to negotiate something similar to what you are on now, not the HK minimums (unless you come from the USA where they don't seem to believe in holidays!).

    Very few people are 100% on HK minimums.

    YanLiM likes this.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Sarcasm - because beating the crap out of people is illegal
    Posts
    14,622

    Never had an expat contract, mine have been local and always one month's notice. Higher-ups would have to give three month's notice.

    The Labour law covers the basic minimum, for notice required as well as the number of leave days, sick days, etc. It would be extremely unlikely you would be on the same terms as say a factory worker.

    YanLiM likes this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    14,414

    Ultimately it depends on how much they want you.

    Is this an internal transfer?
    You applied direct?
    You were headhunted?

    Etc, that will determine your bargaining position

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  6. #6

    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    8

    Flights and first month's accommodation is provided for. No container shipping...

    Yes, salary will be split into two for housing purposes.