Beginning from 11 December 2020, statutory maternity leave under the Employment Ordinance has been extended from 10 weeks to 14 weeks. For maternity leave pay paid during the additional 4 weeks, employers can apply to the Reimbursement of Maternity Leave Pay Scheme for reimbursement, subject to a cap of HK$80,000 per employee. An application must meet the requirements that:
- The employee is entitled to be paid maternity leave pay under the Employment Ordinance;
- The employee has taken her 14 weeks of maternity leave, and the applicant has paid 14 weeks of maternity leave pay to the employee;
- The employee delivered her baby on or after 11 December 2020; and
- The additional 4 weeks’ of maternity leave pay already paid to the employee has not been / will not be covered or subsidised by other government funding.
To apply, employers can submit online applications through the Reimbursement Easy Portal at https://www.rmlps.gov.hk/. Applications submitted via email, fax, post, or in person are also possible.
Applications are made by completing an Employer Application Form and an Employee Declaration Form – both of which can be found on the online portal. Employers will also have to submit supporting documents, including payment proof of 14 weeks of maternity leave pay, proof of bank account for receiving reimbursement, the employer’s registration or identity document, and employee’s pregnancy proof. Applications should be submitted by the later of either:
- 3 months after the last day of the employee’s 14-week statutory maternity leave; or
- 3 months after the RMLP Scheme’s commencement date of 1 April 2021.
A Notification of Application Results will be issued to the applicant by email or post within 15 working days upon receipt of a complete application. Once the application is approved, the reimbursement will be paid to the applicant’s designated bank account specified in the Application Form.
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