terminations procedure?

I'm hoping that someone who has recently terminated their helper, wouldn't mind giving me some help with the following questions I have.


{I have already tried contacting the immigration department but have been unable to get a response from them by phone or email, on these issues, and the searches I have done in this forum, for previous threads have not really answered my questions.}


The reason we are terminating our helper is that we are permanently leaving Hong Kong. She has already found a new employer and signed a new contract with them.

We are very happy with her performance and are terminating her on good terms.


1. I have written a termination letter including a reference, which she has submitted, via an agency, to immigration, along with her new contract application.

Do I also personally need to submit this letter to immigration.


2. Our helper has only worked with us for 3 months. At the start of her contract we paid for her flight here. Are we meant to provide her with a flight home? She is entitled to and will be commencing immediately with her new family and not returning to the Philippines in between the contracts.


3. Are there any leave days or other entitlements that she is entitled to, that I should give in her last pay?


4. Am I entitled to any refund on my levy and if so, how do I go about applying for that?


Thanks. :)

1. Yes you are required to provide a copy to Immigration yourself (and don't do it through the helper). Strange you cannot get through to Immigration. (I assume it wasn't yesterday that you were trying!)

2. Yes you are obliged to provide free passage to her home (incl daily meal allowance) at the end of the contract. If she has no plan to go back you can agree on a cash value (and get her to sign her agreement with the valus and receipt of same.

3. No leave entitlement. Check the following link for details of the requirements:

http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/FDHguide.pdf

4. No refund. Hopefully (for your sake) you paid only the first 6-monthly instalment rather than the full 2-years up-front. You can only carry forward an unused portion to a new helper and then only if the new helper is employed within 4 (?) months.

Brilliant, thanks very much TC, that saves me a lot of pfaffing around.


No it wasn't yesterday I was ringing BTW. {do you work there?}. It was about a week ago I tried several times through the day but kept getting a voice mail saying htat the mail box was full {helper section} and to ring again later.


So I sent an email instead, but a week later, with that still unanswered, thought I'd try my luck on here.

No I don't work there. I was surprised because I've never had anything but the best possible responses from all of my queries - email, phone or over-the-counter. Perhaps check the Immigration Dept website (if you are still wanting to contact them, that is) for one of the other general enquiry lines - or even to check that the number you have already tried is still current. Good luck.

http://www.immd.gov.hk