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HSBC axes $38,000 school fee perk for new Hong Kong bankers

Longstanding subsidy had been used to attract senior staff to Asian financial hub

HSBC axes $38,000 school fee perk for new Hong Kong bankers

HSBC Holdings has ended an extensive education benefit for new hires and senior staff transferring to Hong Kong, scaling back a well-known perk for the city's banking professionals. The decision, announced by chief executive Georges Elhedery, aims to streamline costs amid an ongoing restructuring effort. Existing band-three employees and managing directors currently receiving the benefit will continue to do so.

New recruits and transfers at those levels will no longer qualify. The subsidy, which covers 95% of school fees up to HK$300,000 (S$48,800) annually per child in secondary school, has long been a significant recruitment tool for mid-level and above staff. HSBC's Hong Kong business segment employs over 30,000 staff and generated US$7.8 billion in pretax profit during the first half of the year.

International school fees have surged since the pandemic, adding to the cost burden for expatriate and local families.

Written by urgent.news from Straits Times Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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