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We provide HR compliance advisory for Hong Kong SMEs, start-ups, mainland companies that have just opened a Hong Kong branch, and companies without an in-house HR team. The pattern is usually the same: the employment contract was copied from a template, there is no staff handbook, nobody is sure which documents a departing employee is entitled to, and MPF and benefits simply run on “whatever we did last year” — until a letter from the Labour Department or a staff complaint arrives. We start by reviewing your existing contracts, handbook, MPF arrangements and departure documents against the Employment Ordinance, show you exactly where the gaps and risks are, then revise or rewrite each document. When staff need to be told, we can act as your HR department and handle the process and the paperwork — you only confirm the direction and the final documents.
ThinkerTool runs two service lines under one roof — HR Compliance and Financial Planning Advisory. The first covers employment compliance and HR documentation; the second covers MPF, insurance protection and personal financial planning. You can take either line on its own, or both together.
Employees are valuable resources that need to be managed efficiently. Hong Kong employer obligations are there to protect both employers and employees, which include the Hong Kong Employment Ordinance. Employees covered by the Employment Ordinance are entitled to payment of wages, granting of statutory holidays, benefits such as rest days, paid annual leave, sickness allowance, and more. Our team provides the most suitable solution to keep our clients on top of essential HR requirements.
These are the eight situations we see most often across Hong Kong SMEs, start-ups and mainland companies setting up here. If two or more apply to you, your documents and practices are due for a review.
The contract came from a template
A template can tick the “we have a contract” box, but not the “is it compliant” one — probation, notice periods, deductions and overtime clauses are the usual weak points.
No handbook, rules are verbal
Without written company policies, staff do not know the code of conduct, and the company has nothing to point to when a dispute arises.
Departure paperwork is a minefield
Which documents, by when, and how the final payment and leave balance are calculated — this is where most employers slip up.
MPF just rolls on
Who is enrolled, how much is contributed, what happens on joining and leaving, and which trustee performs better — all of it takes time.
One benefit plan for everyone
Executive pay and benefits differ markedly from the rest of the workforce; a single plan either loses your key people or costs too much.
The Ordinance keeps moving
418/468 continuous contracts, minimum wage, statutory holidays — every change means re-checking existing contracts and calculations.
A full-time HR hire is hard to justify
For an SME the salary is high and the workload uneven, yet compliance issues do not wait until you can afford one.
Your HR contact sits overseas
When HR administration is handled from the mainland or overseas, Hong Kong legislation and government support schemes are easy to miss.
The four areas can be taken separately or reviewed together. We look at what you already have before deciding whether to amend or rewrite — we will not open by telling you to replace everything.
Employees will require employment contracts that are in accordance with Hong Kong Employment Ordinance. Employers and employees are free to negotiate and agree on the terms and conditions of employment provided that they do not violate the provisions of the Employment Ordinance. Employees will also want to have written company policies so that they can follow the basic guidance of the company’s code of conduct. We supply employment contracts and tailor-made employee handbooks that meet legal requirements in Hong Kong.
Employee turnover is normal in every company, no matter it is voluntary or involuntary. To many employers, it is quite a hassle to provide the documents which the leaving employees may request; this may also incur some potential legal risks. Some employers may want to get help to deliver the message, especially during involuntary turnover. We can act on behalf of our clients and handle all these procedures and documentation, like the internal human resources department, search and recruit for new talents.
Provident fund schemes in Hong Kong, such as Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), can take some time to understand. We can provide the MPF trustees’ performance proposal so our clients can choose from it. We can also assist with organizing and implementing statutory provident fund schemes to help ensure ongoing compliance with local employment requirements.
Compensation to executives is different from compensation for lower-level employees. It may include substantial differences in perks, benefits, and salary from the organizational norm for the rest of the employees. We can craft different benefit/incentive plans and also rental reimbursement plans by listening to employee needs while meeting clients’ goals.
The employment contract and the staff handbook are the two documents employers rely on most and review least. The Ordinance itself is published by the Labour Department; MPF contribution rules are on the MPFA website.
Financial planning refers to an in-depth review of your monetary situation; and from that information, developing a strategy to reach quantifiable goals.
For a financial plan to work, it must be customized to the individual’s needs and objectives. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to financial planning. In addition, financial planning is an ongoing process. It’s never a one-off formula that’s devised over an hour, and then rigidly followed to the end.
Many things may happen between today and your retirement. Your portfolio of assets – and long-term financial goals – may have to change. Factors such as marriage, becoming self-employed, litigation, or an economic recession can all require changes to your plan.
As such, it’s important to rebalance our range of assets (portfolio) and to review savings and investments from time to time.
Long-term investment plans must associate with ways to hedge against risks, such as falling ill, unexpected retrenchment, serious accidents, and so forth. These are unplanned situations that end up costing a lot of money.
This is why building up savings and protecting through insurance become very important, before considering goals like retirement. Insurance protections should cover:
Having an emergency savings fund is also crucial. This saving fund is not an investment – this money must be available on short notice, to cover emergency expenses.
With our in-depth knowledge of insurance products and financial tools, we are proud to provide professional advice to our clients.
The financial planning material above is general information only. Any arrangement depends on your own financial position, objectives and risk tolerance, so we will discuss your circumstances and explain the nature and cost of any product before making a recommendation. ThinkerTool holds MPF Intermediary Registration No. 144660; employer reporting requirements are set out by the Inland Revenue Department.
The risk with compliance advice is being handed a template and nothing else. We review what you already have, write down what needs to change and why, and only start drafting once you agree.
We look at your industry, headcount, existing contracts, handbook, MPF arrangements and the HR issues you have run into, and work out which documents are the most urgent.
We collect your employment contracts, staff handbook, departure documents, MPF records, and your leave and overtime practices, then check each against the Employment Ordinance.
A written list of which clauses need changing, which documents are missing and how high the risk is — ranked by urgency, so you can start with the most urgent part only.
We write or revise the employment contracts, staff handbook and departure documents for your situation, and explain the clauses line by line rather than handing over a template you cannot read.
When staff need to be informed, or a departure has to be handled, we can act as your HR department, handle the process and documentation, and deliver the message on your behalf.
When the Ordinance changes, or when your headcount or benefit arrangements change, we flag it and review again — this is not a one-off deliverable.
Timing depends on headcount, how complete your existing documents are and how much needs to change. Before we start we set out the deliverables and the timetable in writing.
These are the situations that benefit most. If yours is not listed, WhatsApp or call us and we will tell you honestly whether you need it.
There is no fixed price list, because “amend one contract” and “rewrite the whole set and handle a departure” are very different jobs. Quotations depend on seven factors:
We do not publish a fixed price list. We look at your headcount, your existing documents and the scope you need, then quote individually. The quotation sets out the deliverables, the number of revision rounds and the timetable, with no hidden charges. The first consultation and the quotation are both free. To discuss now, WhatsApp +852 6364 6395 or call +852 3998 1080.
The three questions employers ask most often, answered directly — including how it works in practice.
The moment you employ your first member of staff, the Employment Ordinance applies: you need an employment contract, MPF arrangements, and correct holiday and wage calculations. Small companies are often more exposed, because nobody owns compliance until something goes wrong.
In practice, companies with 5–20 staff usually start with the minimum set: one compliant employment contract, a basic staff handbook, and a departure document pack. Those three cover most day-to-day risk.
A template answers “do we have a contract”, not “is it valid here”. The Ordinance lets employers and employees agree their own terms, but only if they do not conflict with it; probation, notice, deduction and overtime clauses in imported templates frequently do.
We check your template clause by clause against your actual situation, tell you what to change and what difference it makes, and explain each clause so you can judge it yourself next time.
No. Financial planning starts with a review of your position and objectives, and only then looks at tools. Insurance is one way of transferring risk, not the answer itself.
We discuss your situation, objectives and risk tolerance first, and set out the nature, cost and limits of any option before you decide. We do not recommend a product before understanding the circumstances.
一家內地的公司在香港剛開設了分公司，因他們不熟悉在香港法例上所必須要的文件及保險要求。他們有計劃要招聘職員，但又不清楚香港的強積金跟內地的社會保險的分別。我們就為他們找了三家勞工保險的報價，並預備了一個詳細的強積金信託公司的分析報告讓他們選擇。也為他們提供了香港僱傭合約的範本，並就所有條文詳細解釋。
Original case reference recorded in Chinese.
有一家公司，主要負責香港人事行政的同事都在內地，他們對香港最新推出的支援計劃都不太熟悉。當保就業計劃開始申請時，他們以為香港公司只開了一年而不符合資格申請。我們就將計劃內容詳細解釋給他們知道，而且申請過程也一步一步的教他們在網上操作，最後成功獲批及取得支助。
Original case reference recorded in Chinese.
→ Both numbers can be checked against the public registers of the issuing bodies; the Chinese-language write-up of the same engagements is on the About Us and case pages.
We review your existing employment contracts, staff handbook, MPF arrangements and departure documents against the Employment Ordinance, list the gaps and the risk, then revise or rewrite each document and explain every clause. Where staff need to be told, we can act as your HR department and handle the process and paperwork.
Yes. The Employment Ordinance applies from the first employee: an employment contract, MPF arrangements, statutory holidays and correct wage calculations. Small companies usually have nobody dedicated to compliance, which makes them more exposed, not less.
Yes. Whether turnover is voluntary or involuntary, we can act on behalf of the client and handle the procedures and documentation, like the internal human resources department — including the documents a leaving employee may request, which reduces the potential legal risk.
We provide the MPF trustees’ performance proposal so you can choose the trustee that suits you, and we assist with organizing and implementing statutory provident fund schemes to keep you compliant with local employment requirements. ThinkerTool holds MPF Intermediary Registration No. 144660.
The Employment Ordinance does not require one, but employees generally want written company policies so they can follow the company’s code of conduct. Without written policies, an employer also has nothing to point to when a dispute arises.
No. We review your position, objectives and risk tolerance first, explain the nature, cost and limits of each option, and you decide. Financial planning is an ongoing process, not a one-off product recommendation.
There is no fixed price list. It depends on headcount and job levels, the scope of documents, the state of your existing documents, whether departures need handling, the MPF and benefit review scope, whether financial planning is included, and whether it joins up with recruitment, visas or payroll outsourcing. We quote individually after understanding the situation; the first consultation and the quotation are free.
Yes. HR compliance advisory can be arranged alongside HR outsourcing, recruitment, payroll outsourcing and corporate training, so hiring, contracting, payroll and departure settlement are handled by one team instead of several.
The articles above are published in Chinese on our blog. The Ordinance is published by the Labour Department and MPF rules by the MPFA.
Tell us your industry, headcount and what documents you are using now. We will point out what is most urgent, then set out the deliverables and the fee. The first consultation and the quotation are both free.
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