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Shortage of foreign domestic helpers|It is difficult for a domestic helper to get an employer to spend 10,000 yuan a month. Domestic helpers are asked to "jump out of work", but the definition is unclear

2021-06-06T20:44:17.602Z


The "no-flying order" affects the supply of foreign domestic helpers, and the whole city is striving to hire foreign domestic helpers. Some employers say that the process of hiring domestic helpers is very difficult. It is expected that they will not be hired until the end of the year. Therefore, friends’ mothers are asked to help take care of their sons as a "transition", but each


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Written by: Chen Jiahui and Huang Yongyu

2021-06-06 11:00

Last update date: 2021-06-06 11:00

The "no-flying order" affects the supply of foreign domestic helpers, and the whole city is striving to hire foreign domestic helpers. Some employers say that the process of hiring domestic helpers is very difficult. It is expected that they will not be hired until the end of the year. Therefore, friends’ mothers are asked to help take care of their sons as a "transition", but It can cost up to 10,000 yuan per month.

In addition, employers are dissatisfied with foreign domestic helpers who have unilaterally terminated the contract to "skip". The two sides are still negotiating with the Labour Department. It is conservatively estimated that foreign domestic helpers from overseas can be hired after the New Year.

Some groups concerned about the rights and interests of foreign domestic helpers believe that in a normal employment relationship, both parties have the right to terminate the contract. Foreign domestic helpers are not fair.

▼Foreign domestic helpers gather at Tamar Park and Chater Road on holiday▼

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Ada and her husband have a son, and both husband and wife have full-time jobs, so they hired a Filipino maid to help take care of their 5-year-old son and do housework.

Unwilling to be photographed, she said that the Filipino maid sister in her family has worked stably for the family for 5 or 6 years, but her sister recently resigned because she wants to return to China to take care of her family and will work until early June.

Many times to try their luck at the intermediary company

Ada said that she started contacting the agency in April, hoping to hire a new domestic helper, but the process was very difficult. Once interviewed a Filipino helper, I wanted to think about it, but the agency called and told me two hours later that someone was willing to bid. Hiring a sister for 5,000 yuan, she did not want to compete with other families, so she gave up.

She then tried her luck at another intermediary company, and the other party reminded her to arrive as early as possible, otherwise her sister would be "chosen by others."

Ada said that she arrived early that day, but there were long queues at the door of the intermediary company. Many people had interviews on the spot. The scene was ruined, and she also returned to no avail.

▼The second mandatory test for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong▼

Avoid hiring foreign domestic helpers

The epidemic and the impact of the suspension of flights have pointed to the fact that foreign domestic helpers' salaries have been "grabbing higher."

Ada said that many foreign domestic helpers who have seen their resumes require a monthly salary of at least 5,000 yuan. They also require their employers to provide separate rooms and specify holiday dates. Some people even indicated that they do not want to care for the elderly, chronically ill patients or newborn babies.

Ada said that he did not consider increasing the money to hire a foreign domestic helper, because he was unable to determine how the counterparty was performing, and would only add labor due to the performance of the counterparty.

She continued that many applicants have a record of "discontinued contracts" and believes that hiring a discontinued foreign domestic helper is risky. "If the contract is discontinued once, there will be the second or third time." It may be a waste of more than tens of thousands of intermediaries. fee.

Further reading:

Foreign Domestic Helpers Shortage|No-flying over a month, nearly 3,000 foreign domestic helpers unable to arrive in Hong Kong, demand for local babysitters increases by 30%

▼Lai Chi Kok Park, a foreign domestic helper, waits for long queues to be tested▼

Ask a friend's mother to take care of her son for 10,000 yuan a month

Ada anticipated that it would be difficult to hire a foreign domestic helper in the short term. "It is estimated to be until the end of this year." So Ada hired a friend's mother as a transition to help take care of her son.

She said that her friend's mother worked 5 days a week, working half a day for about 5 hours a day, with an hourly salary of 100 yuan, that is, a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan.

She lamented that local domestic helpers are much more expensive than foreign domestic helpers. In addition, the summer vacation is approaching, children need to be taken care of by adults at home all day long, but mothers of friends can only work part-time for half a day, and the other half of the day still needs help from family members.

Ada said helplessly. In the long run, she still hopes to find a foreign domestic helper, otherwise she may have to quit her job to take care of her son.

▼First mandatory test for foreign domestic helpers▼

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Another employer, Hong Taizhi, a family of three with a 4-year-old daughter, hired a foreign domestic helper to share the work at home because her husband traveled to and from the Mainland from time to time. The main tasks included taking care of her daughter and cleaning housework.

She said that in September last year, an intermediary company hired a foreign domestic helper. At that time, the intermediary constantly lobbied her, saying that the shortage of foreign domestic helpers should be "fell the hammer" as soon as possible, and she signed a contract with a foreign domestic helper on the spot.

Hong reluctantly pointed out that the contract was originally signed for two years, but after half a year of work, her sister asked to unilaterally terminate the contract to "skip out of work" in April. The two sides are still mediating in the Labour Department.

Tai Hong said that the sister of the foreign domestic helper hired only worked for half a year, so she suddenly left her job in April, which caused her to lose her budget.

(Photo by Huang Shuhui)

I would rather hire a new sister after the epidemic eases

Hong said that he had lost confidence in hiring a foreign domestic helper. He once asked the intermediary about the "quotes". Many intermediaries have already stated clearly to her that it is currently difficult to hire a sister from overseas.

She estimated that at least after the epidemic in the Philippines and other places eased, foreign domestic helpers from overseas could be hired after the New Year. She also hoped to offer up to 5,500 yuan.

Hong Tai said that when he signed the contract last year, the foreign domestic helper was expected to work for two years.

(Provided by interviewee)

When asked if she would consider hiring a domestic helper to share the housework, she bluntly said that the nature is not consistent, "Daughter is very regular on weekdays, such as going to class in the morning, etc.", plus hiring a foreign domestic helper, I hope someone can Accompanying her daughter instead of dealing with household chores, so she will not consider it.

695 visas were rejected for suspected “jumping” visas, twice as many as last year

In response to the "Hong Kong 01" inquiry, the Immigration Department stated that from 2018 to 2020, 1,184, 1,709 and 1,776 foreign domestic helper visa applications were referred to the special duty team for follow-up due to suspected "skip". , The job team rejected 165, 267, and 319 applications for “jumping” in those three years.

However, in the first four months of 2021 alone, 1,574 applications were referred for follow-up due to suspicion of "working skipping", and 695 applications were rejected, which is more than twice the total number of applications rejected for the entire year of last year.

FDH groups: Both parties in the normal employment relationship have the right to terminate the contract

Tang Xiaoxin, Director of Community Relations of the Foreign Labor Ministry Center, believes that in a normal employment relationship, both parties have the right to terminate the contract. It is not fair to describe the resignation of foreign domestic helpers.



Tang also questioned that the Immigration Department did not clearly specify the definition of "work skipping". Usually, when the visa is refused, it only explains that it does not comply with the employment manual. Instead, foreign domestic helpers are worried about being treated as suspicious cases. Even if they are treated unfairly, they dare not propose to terminate the contract. , To urge the government to clarify the guidelines.

Tang Xiaoxin, Director of Community Relations, Foreign Labor Ministry Center.

(Profile picture)

Labour Department: Maintain close contact with the consulates of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong

Asked how to alleviate the shortage of foreign domestic helpers, the Labour Department replied that since the beginning of last year, it has been implementing a number of assistance to foreign domestic helpers and their employers, such as allowing employers to extend the expiration date of their outgoing foreign domestic helpers’ current contracts, and calling on both employers to "be happy and sincere," "Mutual understanding and mutual accommodation" to discuss suitable arrangements. The government will closely monitor the situation and maintain close contact with the consulates of the foreign domestic helper exporting countries, foreign domestic helpers and employer groups, and employment agency organizations.

When the Immigration Department responded to inquiries, it only reiterated that when reviewing whether a foreign domestic helper is "off-job", the Special Duty Team will carefully consider various factors, including the number and reasons for the early termination of the employment contract by the foreign domestic helper, the foreign domestic helper's past conduct, and foreign domestic helpers. Records of domestic helpers and former employers, etc.

Shortage of foreign domestic helpers|Nearly 3,000 foreign domestic helpers cannot arrive in Hong Kong after the ban on flying is implemented

Compulsory testing of foreign domestic helpers|In the second round, 220,000 people have been sampled and found two foreign domestic helpers confirmed

01News

COVID-19 domestic helper

Source: hk1

All news articles on 2021-06-06

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