Hong Kong pledges lenient approach on 10-12 hours of civil service family leave

Hong Kong authorities will implement a new family care leave scheme for civil servants starting next year, offering 10 to 12 hours of leave annually. This initiative, announced in the recent policy address, allows staff to take time off for personal matters like hospital visits for family members or attending parent-teacher meetings. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan, stated that the application process is expected to be straightforward. She indicated that supervisors should generally approve leave requests if they are satisfied, acknowledging that civil servants may not always have advance supporting documents for unforeseen circumstances. This lenient approach aims to facilitate the use of this new leave provision.