Guide to Employing a Foreign Domestic Helper
If you would like to know information on employing a foreign domestic helper, please download the guide here (763kb PDF).

7 Notes for Employer Hiring Oversea Maid

1. WORKING VISA

Overseas maids to work in Hong Kong, mainly from the Philippines, Thailand or Indonesia, and other places, about 20 years of age or more. Foreign domestic helpers to work in Hong Kong will need to be entered into a contract of employment with the employer and obtain a work visa (WORKING VISA). General application for big money requires two and a half to three months’ time maids to work in Hong Kong, there are also Immigration Department would exercise discretion on a case. In general employers should prepare enough time waiting maids to Hong Kong so as to avoid any unexpected delays.

2.A contract of employment

Foreign domestic helper employment contracts valid for 2 years (without a trial period) the FDH must work in the employer's residence and residential and a salary of not less than HK $ 3,580 (salary to provisions under the Labour Department of Hong Kong, July 10, 2008), the employer must provide free meals without meals provided, employers are required to provide a meal allowance, not less than $ 750 per month.

3. Termination of Contract

Employment contract for a period of two years, finished contract employer shall pay the maid is a one-way ticket to return home.  If for pre-mature contract termination, employers are required to pay levy to Singapore Government, plus pay food and lodging to maid at $12/day for one month or when she find new employer.

4. Work schedule

On the Employment Ordinance has not set out the maid's working hours but employers should provide maid reasonable rest time of 8 hours for sleeping a day.

5. Carefully select employment agency

Some employment companies to cut-throat or charges very low prices attract employers, such companies are often unable to provide a high quality of the service, or did not provide any training for maids. Good employment agencies charge a reasonable fee, at the same time providing domestic and nursing training to maids.

6. Insurance for maid

Upon maid arrival employers must be purchased for the maids domestic insurance. The law, within the contract period, the employer shall be responsible for maid’s personal safety or any injury in the course of work. We advise if maid on holidays out, employer and maid should agree within the specified time to arrive home. Employers should also remind their maid to pay attention to their safety at any time.

7. Avoid hiring illegal part-time foreign domestic helpers

Some foreign domestic helpers in the form of part-time work, paid about $10. But we do not advise employers to do. Part-time foreign domestic helpers are illegal and employers hiring illegal part-time foreign domestic helpers, employer/helpers is in breach of the Employment Ordinance or the Immigration Ordinance, may be liable to criminal prosecution.

 

Note for Employer Upon Arrival of Maid

1. The maid shall work and reside in the employer’s residence. Employers should pay salary on time. Remember to ask the maid to sign receipt of the salary and keep the record properly.
2. As at the arrival date of the maid, the employer must take insurance for her, it is requested by law.
3. Maid after arriving in Hong Kong, is required to report to the Consulate of her own country. Generally employment agency will help to do report immediately after the maid arrived.
4. The minimum allowable wage for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong since 2 June 2011 increased from $ 3,480 per month to 3,740. New wage level applies to all employment contracts signed on or after 2 June 2011, employer shall not pay the salary less than this amount otherwise they shall be liable to criminal prosecution.
5. Maid shall only perform domestic duties such as nursing baby, take care children, elderly , house cleaning, washing & ironing, go marketing, car cleaning and walk dog.  Maid shall not take up, and shall not be required by employer to take up, any other employment with any other person.
6. Employers shall brief their requirements and expectation to the maid and prepare a work schedule for her to follow.  It advisable employer should give time for the maid to pick up her job duties
7. In the first few months maid works in a new place will inevitably be deficiencies or has emotion problem such as homesick, employers should give understanding, if necessary, liaise the employment agency to ask for their advice and assistance.
8. After the maids arrived Hong Kong, they may request call home or request call back to Agency.  If this happen employers please allow them to so.  Generally the maids call home is to report they are safely landing or call back to the Agency are due to work issues or emotional problems, intermediary companies can give guidance and assistance in these areas, often one phone will be readily solved the problem.

10 tips to make you good relations with maid

1. Pay salary on time;
2. Support your maid in front of your children;
3. Avoid shouting the maid in front of children;
4. To listen to your maid, be considerate and to understand her relationship with the children;
5. Maid is not working machines, to respect their privacy, and to give adequate rest;
6. If the maids need to work on holidays, must notify her in advance, to compensate in holiday or additional payment of salaries;
7. Any form of family disputes, don't let the maid get involve;
8. Please follow strictly with the terms and conditions stated in the employment contract;
9. Should give your instruction and requirements to maid clearly, and don’t let the maid get lost
10. Should have close contact with the maid no matter at home or abroad

Employer tips

The way to get along with a maid

1. To give a grace period

Maids has difference habits, different religious and cultural backgrounds, it is easy to cause misunderstanding and conflict.  Therefore both employers and maid need patience, respect and co-operation.  Employer may give the maid 2-3 month grace period to allow maid to learn step by step, gradually she can meet your requirements;

2. Communication skills

Usually in the first 2-3 months maids has language problem.  Employer is advised to speak slowly as possible or use the simple words speak to the maid or use more body language to express Maid’s language skill will improve in the next few months.  Both parties should be patient and be understanding.   In this way maid’s confidence will gain and she can get familiar with her work progressively

3. Training and encouragement

Lifestyle and family habits are different for each employer, regardless of experience or inexperience of maids, to work in every family, appears more or less are not in line with the employers. Maid may afraid scolded or punish by their employers, so even they do not understand what to do they will say understood. Employers can train the maid with patience, also if possible to demonstrate request the maid to do one time to show how much she understood. Employer can remind the maid regularly until maid is fully understood.  Employer shall give encouragement and appreciation when appropriate this can help to improve the relationship between maid and employer

4. A sense of belonging

Employers only to treat the maid fairly, this will enable the maid work heartedly.  For example: many maids after they finished cooking they will let employer eat first and she will eat the leftover.  If employer can initiatively ask the helper eat together or take some food for her instead of let her eat the leftover the maid will feel respected.  Furthermore, if the maid’s performance is good employer can show her appreciation by giving a little gift to her.  This can help the maid has a sense of belonging to the employer’s family. In General, Indonesia maid is majority Moslem they do not eat pork, employers should respect their religious and don’t force them to eat pork.

5. Set out the guidelines and schedule

Employers can base on their habits or life style to prepared work schedules for the maid to do her work. Employer can explain clearly about the work schedule the requirements in details let the maid has a clear understanding of her work thus to reduces mistakes and omissions in her work. Maids have clear guidelines, understand your requirements, work is more easy; employer should explains to maid about their like or dislike and taboo so the maids can avoid make mistake.

The employer must pay attention to:

1. No matter any nationality of maid that employer are applying, we must do all we can to provide the best employment agency services.  However, if in the middle of the application is processing the maid suddenly change her mind or in case of accident (such as traffic accident, pregnancy, get sick, individual psychological factors etc) or any other unforeseeable delay in work, we are deeply regretted and sincerely hope that employers can understand it is out of our control.  We can only committed to providing employers all the best services, but cannot force or control the maid’s thought and behavior or any natural disaster. If any aforesaid circumstances happened and caused the application need to cancel, employer can choose another maid for no charge! Employer may also require to claim for refund the agency fee paid.  Any delay of the application from the aforesaid causes we are deeply regretted of.

2. Regardless of applying any nationality maid or local finished contract maid, if the maid’s performance is unsatisfactory we will provide replacement (except renewal of contract).  However, the replacement is from oversea not the local finished contract maid.  Employers according to the MOM’s rules and regulation need to pay a one-way ticket to the terminated maid return to her original home town and pay food and lodging of 30 days to the employment agency for the maid stay in their boarding house until she find a new employer of go back home. 

3. According to MOM’s rules and regulations all local finished contract helper prior to her new working permit is issued she is not allowed to work for her prospect employer or work in any family not on the contract’s address.   It is a criminal offence, if maid or employer is found committed this offence they are liable of criminal prosecution.

4. Any charges received by the company only includes maids Visa payments to immigration (VISA) fees $160 a, such as the need for maids extension or Visa payments to repeat (VISA) fees $160 you want paid by the employer, the company provides handling services.

5. During the period of employment contract if you have any underpayment of wages and employers all contentious issues to Hong Kong labour legislation guidelines, the company and may occur without any need for employers to handle the case of the Labour Department, the company does not provide employment advice and the two sides have any act in violation of labour legislation in Hong Kong.