Annual renewal calendar (employer FDH year)

Problem

Employers often treat FDH compliance as a hire-day event. In practice, EC insurance renews yearly, MAW can change for new contracts, rest days and holidays need a household diary, the two-year SEC has an eight-week ImmD renew window, and a mid-contract flat move needs ID 407G. Missing any one of those is not “household forgetfulness” — it is Labour / ImmD territory. This calendar does not invent new law; it points you at official clocks already published.

Recurring checkpoints (year-at-a-glance)

Likely — HK Helper Desk packaging of Verified duties into a calendar. Use your own SEC start date, policy renewal date, and leave year as the real anchors.

1. Every policy year — renew EC insurance before it lapses. Employees’ compensation insurance is compulsory under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance. Cover must stay in force for the whole employment; diary the insurer’s renewal date weeks ahead and do not start or continue employment without cover. Premium is the employer’s cost — never deduct it from wages. At the helper’s written request, produce the policy for inspection. Full hire-day steps: Insurance before day one. Verified — LD ECO FAQ; LD HelperInsure / FDH insurance leaflet; Employer corner.
2. When Government announces — watch MAW and food-allowance levels. MAW applies at the date of signing the SEC, not as an automatic mid-contract wage hike. Food in lieu of free meals has its own floor. As of contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026: MAW HK$5,220 / month; food allowance (if no free food) HK$1,236 / month. Re-check LD / GovHK before you sign any new or renewal SEC — rates are reviewed regularly. Detail page: MAW & unpaid wages. Verified — LD FDH home (MAW); GovHK press release 2 Oct 2026; GovHK Hiring FDHs.
3. Every week / leave year — rest day, statutory holiday, annual leave diary. One rest day in every period of seven days; statutory holidays (including Easter Monday from 2026); paid annual leave under the Employment Ordinance / SEC. Do not “swap” them casually without knowing which clock you are using. Theme map (do not duplicate here): Rest day & holiday plain-English map. Verified (entitlement themes) — LD FDH FAQ; Employer corner; LD statutory-holiday news. Likely (your household calendar layout).
4. ~8 weeks before SEC expiry — renew or finish timeline. Each Standard Employment Contract (ID 407) runs about two years. ImmD normally accepts same-employer renewal applications within eight weeks before expiry (new SEC + visa forms). Natural expiry still triggers final pay, return passage, and Clause 13 home-leave rules if you renew. Full finish / renew steps: Contract finish, renewal & notice. Verified — ImmD FDH services (renewal within eight weeks); LD FAQ Q1 (two-year SEC); ImmD Guidebook / SEC notes.
5. Whenever the flat or duty schedule changes — file ID 407G. If the residential address on the SEC or the Schedule of Accommodation and Domestic Duties changes mid-contract, notify ImmD with form ID 407G (or the GovHK online path). Enquiry: ImmD 2824 6111. This is an ImmD notification duty, not a Labour hotline job. Verified — ImmD ID 407G; ImmD FDH services page.
6. Whenever the helper is ill or injured — recall free-medical vs EC. SEC Clause 9(a): employer provides free medical treatment during employment (with the usual SEC exceptions). EC insurance covers work-injury liability under ECO — it does not replace the SEC medical duty. Keep clinic / hospital receipts and know who pays what: Medical / clinic visit — who pays. Verified — Employer corner; LD FDH insurance leaflet; FAQ Q27.
7. Bookmark once — who to call when something breaks. Wages / rest days / EC / disputes → Labour Department hotline 2717 1771 (1823). Visa / SEC / ID 407 / ID 407G → ImmD 2824 6111. Crime / danger → Police 999. Decision tree: When to call Labour Dept vs ImmD vs police. Verified — LD Contact us; ImmD FDH page; Police 999 pages.

Suggested quarter rhythm

Likely — HK Helper Desk packaging only. Official pages do not prescribe this quarterly split; adapt to your SEC anniversary and insurer renewal date.

• Q1 / start of calendar year — Confirm statutory-holiday list for the year (including Easter Monday from 2026); refresh rest-day agreement in writing if the household pattern changed; check EC / medical policy schedules still match the named employment.
• Each quarter — Spot-check wage payment records vs contracted wage / MAW at signing; confirm no illegal deductions; glance at leave balance vs EO annual-leave clock.
• ~8–12 weeks before SEC end — Decide renew vs finish; start ImmD paperwork inside the eight-week window; plan Clause 13 home leave or ImmD deferral; diary final-pay and ticket deadlines.
• On any address / household-duty change — ID 407G the same week you move or rewrite the schedule — do not wait for year-end.
• When press releases land — Re-read MAW / food-allowance announcements on fdh.labour.gov.hk before signing any new SEC.

Employer year hygiene checklist

• EC insurance renewal date diaried; cover continuous; premium paid by employer
• Current MAW / food floor known for any new SEC you are about to sign (re-check LD)
• Rest-day pattern + statutory holidays + annual-leave balance written down
• SEC end date known; ImmD renew / finish decision ≥ 8 weeks out
• ID 407G filed if address or duty schedule changed
• Medical / clinic path remembered (SEC free medical + EC for work injury)
• Hotlines bookmarked: LD 2717 1771 · ImmD 2824 6111 · Police 999
• Links handy: insurance · MAW · rest-day · contract finish · medical · who-to-call checklists

Sources

• Verified — LD FDH Portal — Home (MAW HK$5,220 from 3 Oct 2026; previous HK$5,100 for contracts 30 Sep 2025–2 Oct 2026). Checked 20 Oct 2026.
• Verified — GovHK press release 2 Oct 2026 (MAW +2.35% to HK$5,220; food allowance unchanged at ≥ HK$1,236)
• Verified — GovHK — Hiring Foreign Domestic Helpers (MAW, food allowance, EC insurance, free medical tip)
• Verified — LD FDH — Employer corner (EO / ECO duties; free medical; EC insurance; enquiry channels)
• Verified — Labour Department ECO FAQ; HelperInsure PDF; FDH insurance leaflet
• Verified — ImmD — Foreign Domestic Helpers (two-year SEC; renewal within eight weeks prior to expiry; ID 407 / 407E / 407G)
• Verified — ImmD — ID 407G Revised Schedule (address / accommodation & duties change; enquiry 2824 6111)
• Verified — LD FDH FAQ (Q1 two-year SEC; Q2 MAW; rest day / holiday / medical / EC themes); LD Contact us (2717 1771)
• Likely — This page’s quarter rhythm and “employer year” framing (HK Helper Desk synthesis of the Verified anchors above; not a government calendar form).

FAQ