How can I terminate my domestic worker's contract?

1. Notify your helper in writing and give 1 month’s notice or salary in lieu. 2. Inform your agency so documents and procedures are handled correctly. HelperChoice can guide you on requirements, communication, and employer obligations. 3. Notify the Immigration Department within 7 days using a termination letter or the ID407E form (online, by post, fax, or in person). 4. Settle all dues: outstanding salary, food allowance, unused leave/holidays, flight ticket, travel allowance, and any severance or long service pay. 5. Document all final payments and have your helper acknowledge in writing to avoid disputes. 6. Highly recommended - Provide a reference letter to help your helper find a new employer.

What are the valid reasons legally terminate my domestic worker?

You may terminate a domestic worker for reasons such as: - Relocation to another country - Employer’s financial issues - Redundancy or death of employer - Helper not meeting expectations or not a good fit - Difficulty getting along - Loss of trust - Safety, neglect, or abuse concerns - Serious misconduct - Long-term illness certified unfit for work - Helper goes missing (If your helper is missing and her belongings are gone, it may indicate a planned departure. In such cases, you should file a police report immediately.)

Is there a notice period for terminating my domestic worker's contract?

Yes, according to Clause 10 of the Standard Employment Contract, you must give 1 month’s notice. This helps your helper find new employment, as terminated workers must leave Hong Kong within 14 days unless the reason for termination is employer relocation, financial reasons and

Can my helper terminate the contract?

Yes, your domestic helper can terminate the contract, following legal procedures, including giving proper notice of 30 days and settling any outstanding obligations if any.

What are my dues if I terminated my domestic worker?

You must settle all legally required payments, including outstanding salary, food allowance, unused leave/holidays, flight and travel allowance back to their home country, and any severance or long service pay if applicable.

What is the difference between Long Service payment and Severance payment?

a. Long Service Payment: Paid to a helper who has worked 5+ years and is dismissed, resigns due to permanent unfitness or old age, or dies in service. b. Severance payment: Paid to a helper with 24+ months of continuous service if they are dismissed or their contract is not renewed due to redundancy (including employer relocation).

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Categories: Helper's Rights & Regulation

Domestic Helper Contract Termination – Your 2026 Guide

Updated 16 Jan 2026

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Terminating a domestic worker’s contract is never an easy decision—but when it becomes necessary, it’s important to handle the process legally and respectfully. Whether it’s due to changing family needs, performance concerns, or relocation, understanding the correct termination procedures protects both you and your helper.

Consider if you really want to terminate your domestic helper contract

Dismissing your domestic helper will have an impact on her career prospects and on the family she is supporting back home. If you are relocating or suddenly no longer have the financial means, or if you are moving into a smaller apartment, you may have no other options. But if you are terminating her contract for other reasons, the decision should not be taken lightly and you should consider these questions:

Have you spoken with your domestic helper about the issues before?
If you have not, she may not be aware that you are unhappy with her.
Could we do anything to change the situation?
If she is not very good at cooking but great at her other duties, she may improve by attending some cooking workshops.
How much longer is her contract valid?
If it is just another 2 or 3 months and the situation is not unbearable, you may consider keeping her until she finishes her contract. This also gives both you and her enough time to find a suitable replacement.
Are you angry?
When you are upset, you can make decisions that you may later regret. Discuss the situation with your partner and see if they think the same. You may even want to talk to your children because they may be very attached to the domestic helper.

The valid reasons to terminate your domestic helper

You are relocating to another country;
Your domestic helper is not up to your expectations or is not a good fit for your family;
You are having a hard time getting along with her;
Your family is experiencing financial difficulties;
There is a serious lack of trust between the two of you;
You have reasons to fear for the safety of your family and/or suspicions of neglect or abuse of your children;
A case of serious misconduct of your helper;
Your domestic helper is suffering from a long-term illness and has been certified unfit for work; or
Your domestic helper has gone missing.
In such a case, if you notice that her belongings are gone too, it certainly indicates that her departure was planned. No matter what you think the reason behind your helper’s disappearance or departure is, it is recommended to notify the authorities by filing a police report as soon as possible.

As an employee, your domestic helper has certain rights that should be respected. The following reasons for termination are invalid and as such, it is strictly illegal to terminate your foreign domestic helper in the following cases:

She is on paid sick leave;
She is injured
She is pregnant;
She belongs or has joined a trade union.

An employer has the right to terminate a foreign domestic helper when on leave as long as she is not on medical leave.

A means of last resort

The two-week rule for terminated or break contract domestic helpers

The so-called “two-week rule” states that after the termination of the contract and the notice period, foreign domestic workers need to leave Hong Kong within 2 weeks.

With the recent update, those who were terminated due to employer’s relocation or financial reasons are allowed to process locally if they find a new employer within the 2-week rule.

Those who broke contract or were terminated due to other reasons have to go back to their home country and process from overseas. Extensions of stay are rarely granted unless the domestic worker is having a court case.

Because of that, a lot of workers are not willing to break the contract with abusive employers, fearing that they will have to return home and pay a huge sum for training and placement again to come to Hong Kong. This thus gives rise to more abuses. However, if domestic workers need those 2 weeks to find a new employer, they can stay in boarding houses provided by various domestic worker NGOs.

Moreover, the employer has the responsibility to make sure that the helper is returning to her home country instead of going to a place close to Hong Kong like Macau.

As for employers who have prematurely terminated a non-negligible number of domestic helpers over a relatively short period of time – some 5 workers over a 2-year period – they run the risk of being blacklisted (by the Consulates and to a lesser extent by the Hong Kong Immigration Department) if they are believed to abuse their right to premature termination.

On top of that, employers looking to recruit a new helper will incur including – but not limited to – visa processing and training-related fees, flight, and insurance expenses.

Before opting for premature termination, take a step back and give it some thought – it should be your last resort. Try to solve issues as they arise. Communication and open dialogue right from the onset are your best allies.

Process of contract termination

Should you decide to prematurely terminate your domestic helper’s employment contract, you are legally required to follow a series of rigorous steps.

Step 1: Inform your domestic helper

The first thing to do once you have weighed the pros and cons and made up your mind is notifying your domestic helper in writing. This notification letter known as termination letter should be produced in 3 original copies – 1 copy for yourself, 1 for your domestic helper and 1 for the Immigration Department.

The earlier you can notify your domestic helper, the better. By law, an employer is required to give their domestic helper a month’s notice. The latter is critical to domestic helpers if they are to maximize their chances of finding new employment in Hong Kong, as prematurely terminated workers have to leave Hong Kong within 14 days after their contracts have been terminated.

Key reminders to employers:
*Helpers who were terminated due to employer’s relocation, financial reasons or *death may be processed locally if they find a new employer before their 14 days is up.
*Helpers who are terminated due to other reasons other than the two above shall go back to their home country after 14days from date of termination and will be processed from overseas.

If you decide to terminate your domestic helper on the spot i.e. without giving her a month’s notice, you are legally required to pay her a month’s salary in lieu. In the latter case, she will have to leave the country within 14 days.

Step 2: Notify your Agency

It’s important to notify your agency when you decide to terminate your helper so the process is handled properly, documentation is accurate, and any potential misunderstandings are avoided. By informing your agency early, you also ensure that your helper receives the correct guidance and support during the transition.

At HelperChoice, our team is here to assist you throughout this process. We provide clear management advice, communication tips, and essential information about your rights and obligations as an employer. Our goal is to make the termination process fair, transparent, and as stress-free as possible for both you and your helper. Connect with our Support team here

Step 3: Inform the Immigration Department

You are legally required to notify the Immigration Department in writing and within 7 days following the termination by enclosing an original copy of the written termination letter stating the exact date and reasons for termination.

Various means are at your disposal to notify the Immigration Department:

Via their online platform or
Download, fill in and submit the “Notification of Termination of an Employment Contract” (ID407E) form by post, by fax or in person.

By post/In person

Foreign Domestic Helpers Section,
Immigration Department Headquarters, 61 Po Yip Street, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, Hong Kong.

By fax

(852) 2157 9181

Step 3: Settle your dues

Before parting ways, it is essential to ensure that everything is settled and that any outstanding amounts your domestic helper is legally entitled to have been properly settled.

Your domestic helper is entitled to receive:

Any outstanding salaries.
I.e. her salary for the current month as well as any salaries that you might still owe her.
A month’s salary.
If you have terminated your helper without giving her a month’s notice.
Food allowance.
If you are not providing your domestic helper with food free of charge, you are legally required to give her a food allowance.
Payment in lieu of any untaken annual leave.
And any pro-rata annual leave pay for the current leave year on the basis of a 2-week paid annual leave for a 2-year contract.
Payment in lieu of any untaken holidays.
Flight ticket.
Employers of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong are legally required to repatriate them back home. When purchasing your helper’s flight ticket back home, make sure to ask her beforehand when would suit her best. Keep in mind that your domestic helper has 14 days to leave Hong Kong but might want to stay up until the 14th day to attend interviews with potential employers.
Travel allowance.
Set at 100 HKD per day of travel. Usually, one day is enough.
Severance payment.
Applicable when your helper has been employed continuously for not less than 24 months and dismissed by reason of redundancy.
Long service payment.
Applicable when your helper has been employed continuously for not less than 5 years and also dismissed by reason other than summary dismissal due to his/her serious misconduct or redundancy.

Severance costs and long service payment are calculated as: (monthly wages x 2/3) x reckonable years of services. The service of an incomplete year is calculated on a pro-rata basis.

How To Terminate Domestic Helper Contract | HelperChoice | An Ethical And Fair Employment Agency

Help your domestic helper find a new employer

Scouting for a new position can be difficult and usually is a lengthy process. As an employer who has prematurely terminated or early release their domestic helper, you can help her maximize her chances of finding a new employer in Hong Kong.

Give your domestic helper a reference letter

Your domestic helper is more likely to find a new employer without having to pay exorbitant fees while she is still in Hong Kong.

You can write her a reference letter stating at least the dates of employment. If your domestic helper has been great, you can write her a more personal letter. Many future employers like to hear what you thought were her strong points and if she also has any major weak points.

If you don’t mind being contacted, you can also leave your contact information. Alternatively, you can leave a reference directly on the helper’s profile on HelperChoice’s website if she has one.

Important note: To avoid any disputes that may arise at a later point, it is recommended to draft a document detailing all the above-mentioned items and ask your domestic helper to sign it after review and thus acknowledge that everything has been settled.

Final Considerations

Ending a domestic helper’s contract is a serious step that requires empathy, clarity, and full compliance with Hong Kong’s employment laws. By understanding valid grounds for termination, following proper procedures, and settling everything fairly, employers help ensure a respectful transition that protects both parties. Open communication and thoughtful consideration can often prevent unnecessary dismissals—but when termination is unavoidable, handling it responsibly reflects good ethics and strengthens trust in the wider helper-employer community.

If you need support finding a new helper ethically — or helping your current helper connect with a new employer — HelperChoice offers a transparent, zero-placement-fee platform designed to protect workers and simplify hiring for families.
👉 Hire responsibly at HelperChoice.com