Obligations, Rules, etc.

Posted by filipinaandproud (294 days ago)

Hi to everyone! I had been to HK last Nov. 10 and I was amaze by huge crowd of DH in Central. I also heard that many teachers and college graduate filipinas are working there as DH.

I just want to know what are the common tasks of a DH, and the rules (or your rules) that needs to be followed?

Also, are expats (single or couple) allowed to hire a DH? Do you know people who hires foreign personal assistant?

I have so many questions, and in advance, I wanna say thank you to those who will response. :)

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Posted by Moppet (294 days ago)

All you need to do is go through all the previous posts and you will find all the imformation you want/need.

Posted by GreenValleys (294 days ago)

The tasks that a FDH is allowed to perform are set out in the standard contract. The following links might be helpful to you:
http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/FDHguide.pdf
http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/FDHleaflet_eng.pdf
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/faQ_fdh.htm
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_5.5.htm

Posted by filipinaandproud (293 days ago)

@Moppet, yeah i did. thanks. it's just that, i want to see replies from people here and compare. i mean, maybe some prefer that DH will do the cooking while others prefer otherwise. things like that. :)

@GreenValleys - thanks for the links. :)

Posted by Moppet (293 days ago)

It would be very standard in all jobs that people will have different requirements of thewrfe employees, may i ask why you need the info? this may help in answering the question

Posted by !@#$%^&*() (293 days ago)

Expats and locals are allowed to hire a DH in HK. I'm not quite sure about foreign personal assistants though - i think it will be like a company hiring someone from overseas...unless you can do something locals can't do, then you may have a hard time getting a job like this.

Posted by filipinaandproud (292 days ago)

@Moppet - honestly, i was thinking if i can handle being a DH. but i am not that serious to apply or anything. i just wonder if there are employers who has a DH that doesn't cook & do laundry. i know it's funny, but i thought maybe there are.

^^thanks, i guess you're right. I know someone who work as PA for an Expat, I was just curious because the PA said she doesn't go to office and lives with her Boss. At first i thought she's a DH, but she said she doesn't do any house chores, but do errands, typing job, some research work. She also said she do the grocery, and take care of her boss' dogs.

Posted by GreenValleys (292 days ago)

Some employers (both local and ex pat) might have 3 or 4 helpers and the different chores are shared among them. You might have one who is specifically responsible for the dogs and the garden, another who does the driving and looks after the car, another for whom the kitchen is her sole responsibility...

It sounds to me like your 'PA' friend is possibly legally employed as a helper but is actually breaking the law by performing tasks of a non-domestic nature.

If you are wondering about applying to be a FDH in HK yourself be aware that, although the money might well be an attraction, it's not very often an easy life. There are many cases of abuse (physical, mental, emotional...) and underpayment of salary etc etc plus you'll be separated from family for long periods. Many do very well out of it but there are big risks also.

Posted by Miggy (292 days ago)

I suggest you think twice in working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong. The peso is strengthening and the minimum salary of FDHs here is just about P17,850 (given the current exchange rate). It's not worth it. With the type of work you will be doing, this is really not worth it. I'm saying this as it seems that you are from Manila and would probably even have your own helper. This salary is only the minimum/starting salary of newbies in call centres (most probably fresh graduates). You're better off there.

Posted by filipinaandproud (291 days ago)

@GreenValley - i haven't heard any physical abuse story there in HK. Unlike in Middle east where everything horrible happens to most of FDH. But this abuse thing you mentioned sure made me think twice. :) thanks.

@MIggy - Are you a filipino? :) It's really a shame to admit this but I don't think I can pass as CC agent. You are right about the peso, but if you are living here, you will not feel the effect of it anyway. The peso is getting stronger and said to be appreciated until 2010, yet the cost of living hasn't changed. And the irony of it all, while the peso keep on kicking, fuel/gas/petroleum, commodities & fares also goes high. :(

Posted by GreenValleys (287 days ago)

You certainly don't hear the HK abuse stories like you do those in Malaysia - but they most certainly DO exist. I guess most of them (in both places) involve Indonesian helpers who are taken advantage of by employers and the very people who should be protecting them alike. The Indonesian helpers in HK are not as 'militant' as the Filipino helpers and don't have the same support groups. In the end they tend to keep quiet about the abuses because it would probably cost them their jobs - and they consider it's better to endure and take whatever they can get out of it (often including pay that is way below the legal minimum stipulated in their contracts).

Posted by adele78 (284 days ago)

I just find it shocking that FDH's get paid (by my european standard) such a pittifully low wage considering they often have university educations yet are expected to work 6 days a week, have very little personal space, be sepparated from their family (even their own small children in some cases which as a mother shocks me) and still will shut up and put up with the abuse for fear of loosing their job. It makes me sad.

We're moving to HK in about 5 months and are considering employing someone and I just couldn't imagine being so awful as some of the employers I've heard about. I would want someone who would be primarily like an au pair and part of the family, not a house slave. I would expect that if my DH thought I was being unreasonable at all that she'd speak up and we could negotiate and have conversations rather than one way monologues.

Posted by IslandHopper (284 days ago)

adele78: Of course they are not paid according to their possible education in universities, if they are not working in professions that require academic education, so simple it is.

And it's, in fact, a problem of their home home countries that they can't provide jobs even to educated people.

However, the real problem in HK is that sometimes the very clear legislation about domestic helpers' work (working hours, free time, allowed task for FDH etc.) are not followed.

If following the rules and regulations and normal respect to other people, there are no major problems in FDHs employment in HK.