Labour Department Launches Good Employer Charter 2026 to Promote Work-Life Balance and Family-Friendly Practices

Good Employer Charter 2026 promotes family-friendly employment culture

The Labour Department (LD) held the Good Employer Charter 2026 Kick-off Ceremony today (January 16), calling on employers from various sectors to join the charter and adopt good human resource management and family-friendly employment practices.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Ho Kai-ming, said that this round of the Good Employer Charter, with the theme "Work-family balance, Together strive for brilliance", aims to encourage employers to provide appropriate support to assist employees in balancing their work and family needs, thereby helping to unleash the local workforce.

The Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address announced a series of initiatives for promoting fertility, including the LD encouraging more employers, through the Good Employer Charter, to adopt flexible arrangements that are conducive to childcare and extend the impact of a family-friendly culture in the workplace.

Furthering the objectives of the charter, Charter 2026 encourages enterprises to offer employment benefits that are more favourable than statutory requirements, introduce employee-caring employment practices, maintain good communication with employees, and render support to employees' family needs to promote work-life balance, having regard to their operational circumstances.

Charter 2026 is supported by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong; the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; the Employers' Federation of Hong Kong; the Family Council; the Federation of Hong Kong Industries; the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business; the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management; and the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association. A sharing session was arranged at the ceremony, and signatories of the last charter were invited to share their successful experiences in implementing family-friendly employment practices.

The LD awarded the first Good Employer Charter in 2018. This year, the LD is launching the fourth round of the charter to encourage more enterprises to join the fleet of good employers. For event details, please visit the website: www.gec.labour.gov.hk.

Good Employer Charter 2026 promotes family-friendly employment culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Good Employer Charter 2026 promotes family-friendly employment culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Good Employer Charter 2026 promotes family-friendly employment culture Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by Secretary for Health at 15th China Chest Pain Centers Congress

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, at the 15th China Chest Pain Centers Congress today (April 3):

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to Hong Kong and to the 15th China Chest Pain Centers Congress.

This is the first time that a China national medical conference is held in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Under the constitutional advantage of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has always served as a gateway for interchange between Chinese Mainland and the rest of the world.

As an international hub for medical innovation and high-level talents, Hong Kong serves as the ideal platform to facilitate international participation in these national conferences for mutual benefits.

Apart from a fruitful academic exchange, I wish you a most enjoyable stay in this Asia's world city, with the world's number one airport, number one hotel, number one bar and Asia's number one restaurant and many more attractions. Thank you.

Source: AI-found images