Medical protection for imported workers in Hong Kong

When Hong Kong was emerging from the pandemic in 2023, many of the city’s key sectors lacked the necessary workers to ensure normal operations and help bring about wider economic recovery. As such, the government launched the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) in September 2023 to address worker shortages across a range of industries, including catering, hotels, retail, beauty and salons, and logistics.

Fast-forward to early 2025, and some 43,000 overseas labourers have been approved to work in the city since the scheme was launched. Worryingly, the government anticipates there will be a shortage of 180,000 workers by 2028, largely due to the city’s rapidly ageing population. With the shortfall in labour set to grow over the next few years, it is likely that importation scheme, such as ESLS, will continue into the future so that key industries can continue to thrive.

Employers recruiting ESLS workers must adhere to specific requirements set out by the Labour Department. These include paying imported workers no less than the median monthly wages of local workers in comparable positions, and engaging them under a Standard Employment Contract. These imported workers will also be given the same protection as local workers under the city’s labour laws.

Employers have other obligations, too, including paying employee compensation insurance but also for any medical expenses their imported workers incur while in Hong Kong. Medical costs can quickly escalate depending on the nature of an illness or injury, and this extra pressure can add a serious financial burden to employers, potentially impacting both cash flow and, ultimately the bottom line.

MSIG has developed the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme Group Medical Insurance plan, offering both employers and imported workers a helping hand. The plan has been created to ease the burden of medical expenses on the employer, as well as give the imported worker the reassurance that many of his or her medical costs will be covered.

For example, an imported worker slips and falls while carrying out her duties in a restaurant. She requires a night’s observation in a public hospital in Hong Kong while the doctor assesses her injuries to her back and elbow. Her employer has enrolled Plan 2A for her, the plan’s hospital and surgical benefit means she is covered for up to HK$50,000 per year, which meets the cost of consultation, a bed in the hospital for the night and medication. The examining doctor also refers her to a physiotherapist for follow-up treatment. Under the plan, she can make unlimited number of visits per year with pre-approval and medical report required after 5 visits per disability. Ultimately, she gets the treatment she needs to recover while contracted to work in Hong Kong, and her employer avoids paying potentially costly medical bills.

Depending on the option chosen, the plan can also provide personal accident coverage that either applies in Hong Kong, or extends to the rest of the Greater Bay Area. This gives employers flexibility over choosing coverage that fits their budgets and operational needs. It can even be extended to provide 24-hour protection for employees rather than just while working or commuting.

The ESLS scheme, and others like it, are contributing to Hong Kong’s economic recovery by giving a helping hand to some of our most important industries. If you are an employer hiring imported workers, consider offering them an extra level of protection that provides a win-win for all.

To find out more about MSIG's Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme Group Medical Insurance:
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To find out more about our employee’ benefits plans:
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