How Many Local Employees Do You Need? The ESLS Manning Ratio
Application Guide · · 3 min · Tayee Editorial
The Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) sets the manning ratio in two tiers. For general posts, an employer must keep two full-time local employees for every imported worker (2:1). For food and beverage posts in the production section and the table service section, the ratio has been 3:1 since 16 June 2026 and is counted across all posts within the section. A full-time local employee is a local employee who is directly employed by the employer and works not less than 35 hours a week.
In this article, 'imported workers' means workers that Hong Kong employers bring in under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, not foreign domestic helpers.
How do Tier 1 and Tier 2 differ?
| Item | Tier 1 | Tier 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Posts covered | General posts | Food and beverage posts in the production section (for example cook, junior cook, barbecue cook, drink maker and bar supervisor) and the table service section (for example waiter/waitress, restaurant supervisor, receptionist and cashier), as set out in the Labour Department's List of Catering-related Posts |
| Manning ratio | 2:1 | 3:1, counted across all posts within the section |
| Local recruitment | Four weeks | Six weeks, attending a job fair at a job centre assigned by the Labour Department once every two weeks |
| Vetting time stated by the Government (after preliminary screening) | Most applications can be completed in about three months | Most applications are expected to be completed in about four months |
Tier 2 applies to applications for catering-related posts that receive a notice of preliminary screening on or after 16 June 2026.
Example: applying for production and table service posts together
A restaurant applies to import one cook (production section) and one waiter (table service section), and neither section has any other imported worker. Each of the two sections must then already employ, and continue to employ, three full-time local employees.
Who is not counted as a full-time local employee?
Not counted: part-time staff; staff of subcontractors; self-employed persons providing services to the employer; a sole proprietor or partners, and family members living in the same dwelling; and non-salaried directors of a limited company.
How are employees with disabilities counted?
An employer who employs local persons with disabilities in full-time jobs may apply to have the ratio counted at 1:1, that is, one full-time local employee with disabilities for each imported worker. An employee with disabilities here means one who receives the Normal Disability Allowance or the Higher Disability Allowance from the Social Welfare Department. The arrangement applies to all sectors.
What happens if the ratio is not met?
From 16 June to September 2026, 93 food and beverage applications failed preliminary screening because they could not meet the Tier 2 manning ratio. After approval, the Labour Department also inspects whether employers keep meeting the ratio. Breaches can lead to administrative sanctions: where a case involves more than one breach, the debarment periods are counted cumulatively, up to five years, and the Labour Department publishes the identity of sanctioned employers.
How Tayee can help
Tayee Global Recruitment (Hong Kong) Co., Limited is an employment agency licensed by the Labour Department (Licence No. 82242). It helps employers check posts, prepare application documents and match candidates; whether the manning ratio is met is decided by the Labour Department. Tayee explains the scope, fees and terms of its services in writing before service is provided.
Last checked: 11 November 2026 | Sources: Labour Department pamphlet (revised 10/2026); List of Catering-related Posts (Rev 06/26); Legislative Council written replies LCQ19 (21 October 2026) and LCQ20 (8 July 2026); Government press release of 15 June 2026; Labour Department press release of 17 June 2025
Illustrative image; not a photo of any particular employer or application.
Hong Kong Labour Department
- Labour Department pamphlet: How to Apply under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (revised 10/2026)
- Labour Department: ESLS List of Catering-related Posts (Production Section and Table Service Section), Rev 06/26
- LCQ19: Applications for importation of labour in food and beverage services sector (21 October 2026)
- Government press release: review results of the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme and enhanced measures (15 June 2026)
- LCQ20: Employment and training for persons with disabilities (8 July 2026)
- Labour Department press release: enhancement measures to safeguard employment priority for local workers (17 June 2025)
- Labour Department: Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme