HUMAN RESOURCES OF HKU

To: All Staff

The Council, at its meeting on July 31, 2018, approved to adopt University-wide the new policy on terms and conditions for employment beyond normal retirement age.

The normal retirement age at 60 represents a normal “break-point” of a tenured/substantive employment and the related contractual obligations.  Under the Council-approved new policy, any further employment beyond the normal retirement age, where approved, will be in the form of a new non-tenured/non-substantive contract.  The terms and conditions for the new period of employment are to be further agreed upon between the University and the staff members concerned.  Benefit provisions will be based on the prevailing provisions for new employment contracts but may vary depending on the merits of individual case, subject to approval by the Provost for academic staff or by Executive Vice-President (Administration and Finance) for professional services staff on justifications.

The new policy has been implemented for cases of re-appointment beyond normal retirement age for professoriate staff since 2016 as announced by the Provost in his message on “Academic Appointments” dated April 30, 2016.  On the recommendation of the Human Resource Policy Committee, Council approved that the same policy be extended also to cases of approved re-appointment beyond the University’s normal retirement age for all other categories of staff.  All cases of re-appointment beyond normal retirement age that are to take effect from July 1, 2019 or beyond will be subject to the new policy.

Re-appointment beyond normal retirement age is not a right and is subject to approval on the overriding principles that it would serve the University’s best interests and funds are available.  Relevant criteria and procedures may be found at the following links or the relevant sections in the Staff Handbooks:

(for Professoriate Staff)
https://uis.hku.hk/uis/shbpro/pdf/reapptprof.pdf

(for Academic-related Staff)
https://uis.hku.hk/uis/shbpro/pdf/reapptaca.pdf

(for Professional Services Staff)
https://uis.hku.hk/uis/shnonaca/pdf/reapptnonaca.pdf