And yet another area of uncertainty amongst employers who are hiring a domestic helper in Hong Kong relates to whether or not a helper must live in the employer's residence.
Does my Domestic Helper have to live-in or can the employee have an outside apartment?
Our teams indicates: Your domestic helper should only reside on the employer’s residence. (page 1 No. 3 point on the standard employment contract). Serious penalties apply to both the helper and employer should the government discover the employer is living out.
A Google search on this issue brings up a number of articles that indicate the authorities are serious about enforcing rules regarding live-out domestic helpers in Hong Kong.
For instance, in 2015, four foreign DH’s were arrested when immigration officers suspected them of breaking the live-out law.
One employer and his were also arrested for obstructing the immigration officials.
The law regarding live-out helpers was amended in 2003 and presently only helpers who had been working for the same employer since before the new law came into effect are permitted to live out.
Allowing a helper to live-out is a criminal act that can be punished by fines of up to HKD150k and custodial sentences of up to 14 years for employers. Domestic helpers face permanent deportation from Hong Kong if convicted.
In light of the serious consequences if you are caught employing a live-out helper, our team recommends that if you don’t have space for a live in DH, that you consider contacting Merry Maids and organizing daily maid service through them. It will be more expensive than hiring a full-time helper but it will provide you with peace of mind.
If you have any questions about hiring a helper or need to hire a full time or part time helper, please visit our comprehensive Domestic Help HK site. Our team is standing by to assist!