Notes for Participants

To encourage persons aged 40 or above to re-enter the employment market and to unleash potential workforce, the Labour Department (LD) has launched a three-year Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme (the Scheme) since 15 July 2024, targeting persons aged 40 or above who have not been in paid work for 3 consecutive months or more. A maximum re-employment allowance (REA) up to $10,000 will be given to each eligible person who has worked full-time continuously for 6 months, with an additional REA up to $10,000 provided to those who have worked full-time continuously for 12 months. Half-rate REA is given for those who have worked part-time. Each eligible person may receive REA up to $20,000 during the implementation period of the Scheme.

LD has commissioned the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Hong Kong & Kowloon Labour Unions as service organisations which provide enquiry service to participants at their service spots in different districts in Hong Kong.

Participants must:

1. be Hong Kong residents aged 40 or above;
2. not be engaged in any paid work in Hong Kong (including employment, self-employment and running a business) for 3 consecutive months or more immediately before joining the Scheme;
3. be lawfully employable in Hong Kong¹;
4. have no kinship ties with their employers;
5. not be the sole proprietor, partner or director of the employing company; and
6. not be the specified classes of persons².
7. ¹ For the definition of “lawfully employable in Hong Kong”, please visit the webpage of the Immigration Department:
   https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/useful_information/dont-employ-illegal.html
   For the avoidance of doubt, persons and their dependants admitted to Hong Kong on employment and student conditions are not eligible to join the Scheme.
8. ² Refer to persons and their dependants who have been admitted to Hong Kong through various admission schemes for talents and capital investors. Such schemes include, but are not limited to, the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), the GEP and ASMTP (Technical Professionals Stream), the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.

* After verifying the submitted information, LD will disburse the re-employment allowance to eligible participants.

Participants should register once only during the implementation period of the Scheme (i.e. from 15 July 2024 to 14 July 2027).

Participants must satisfy all eligibility criteria when registering for the Scheme. Eligible persons should register for the Scheme as soon as possible. Under special circumstances, post-registration may be allowed within one month after commencement of the relevant job^(Note). However, the commencement date of the relevant job must fall on or after 15 July 2024 and within the implementation period of the Scheme. Participants must remain employed in the relevant job when post-registering for the Scheme. ^(Note) Participants post-registering for the Scheme must not be engaged in any paid work in Hong Kong (including employment, self-employment and running a business) for 3 consecutive months or more immediately before commencement of the relevant job.

Participants may register online here or complete and return the Participant Registration Form (available here) to the job centres of LD or service spots of the service organisations in person or by post. If needed, participants may also seek assistance from the staff at the job centres.

After successful registration, participants will receive an email confirmation notice with their registration information and registration reference number. If you do not have an email address, please seek assistance from the staff at the job centres.

Participants may look for jobs themselves or obtain job vacancy information through the Interactive Employment Service website and job centres of LD, etc. There must be a direct employment relationship between the participant and the employer (applications from self-employed individuals/contractors will not be accepted). The employment contracts must comply with relevant Hong Kong laws and be protected under Hong Kong laws.

Upon successful employment, participants must report it to LD by returning the completed Employment Report Form within 1 month with proof of employment (e.g. copy of employment contract, wage record, attendance record or staff card, etc). The Participant Declaration should also be submitted when reporting the first employment. If no proof of employment could be provided, their employers may sign on Part II of the Employment Report Form to confirm the employment details for the participants. Participants are required to report each and every employment (including the relevant employment for post-registration under Step 1 and new employment after changing jobs) within the Qualified Employment Period (Please see the section "REA Calculation Principles" for the definition of Qualified Employment Period). Employments which have not been reported within the specified period are not qualified for application for REA.

Participants may download the Employment Report Form here or obtain a copy of it from the job centres or service organisations.

After working continuously for 6 months, participants shall claim the first-phase REA by returning the completed REA Application Form to LD within 2 months. After working continuously for 12 months, participants shall claim the second-phase REA by returning the completed REA Application Form to LD within 2 months.

Participants shall provide proof of work to LD when submitting the REA Application Form, such as wage records, attendance records, Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contribution records or other company-issued documents. If no such documents could be provided, an Employer Declaration signed by the employer should be submitted as proof of the work periods. After verifying the submitted information, LD will disburse the REA to eligible participants by cheque.

In addition, participants must submit a copy of their identity document to LD for verification; participants who are not permanent residents of Hong Kong must also submit a copy of their entry visa to prove their eligibility of the Scheme and that they are lawfully employable in Hong Kong. Participants who are not holders of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card must have arrived in Hong Kong for at least 3 months before joining the Scheme.

Participants may download the REA Application Form here, or obtain a copy of it from the job centres or service organisations.

Participants shall submit an REA Application Form for each phase of REA within the respective timeframe, and cannot claim REA of both phases all at once after working continuously for 12 months.

Participants can submit the documents through any of the following channels:

• Email：reasubmit@labour.gov.hk
• Online Platform
• In person or by mail to the job centres of LD, the Scheme office or service spots of the service organisations

1. LD has the right to require participants to produce relevant information for examination, including the employment contracts, wage/attendance/MPF records, tax returns and any other information to be specified. Participants shall keep the original copies of relevant records and documentary proof for 3 years from the date of submission to LD for examination and review by LD.

2. LD has the right to select applications for inspections. LD may invite participants to attend interviews and require participants to produce the originals of the employment proof and other relevant documents for further examination when necessary.

3. Information provided by the participants shall be true and correct. The provision of false statement, misrepresentation or concealment of any information in order to obtain or attempt to obtain the REA is an offence. LD has the right to refer the case to other divisions of LD and other relevant government bureaux/departments/statutory bodies/enforcement authorities for follow-up action. LD also has the right to refuse the relevant REA application and require participants to return all or part of the REA already granted.

4. Participants shall comply in all respects with all laws (including the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), regulations and by-laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the terms of this Notes for Participants. Otherwise, LD has the right to reject or suspend participants’ participation in the Scheme, and refuse to grant REA. Participants must also return to LD, in full, all REA that they have received.

5. Upon the occurrence of any of the following events, LD may immediately withdraw or cancel the relevant approval for REA applications, and the participant has to return all the monies received:

   1. the participant has engaged or is engaging in acts or activities that are likely to constitute or cause the occurrence of offences endangering national security or which would otherwise be contrary to the interest of national security;
   2. the continued payment of allowance to the participant is contrary to the interest of national security; or
   3. LD reasonably believes that any of the events mentioned above is about to occur.

6. LD reserves the final right to approve REA applications and to determine its amount. In case of disputes over the application or interpretation of terms and clauses of the Scheme, the authority to make final decisions rests with LD.

7. For submission by post, please make a copy of the filled application forms for record and ensure sufficient mailing time and postage to make delivery in order. Underpaid mail will be rejected.

8. This “Notes for Participants” will be updated when necessary from time to time and the latest version shall prevail. For enquiries, please contact the REA Scheme Hotline at 2116 0131 / 2397 7277, or visit the REA Scheme webpage at www.jobs.gov.hk/en/rea.