Are domestic helpers treated fairly in Hong Kong?

Are domestic helpers treated fairly in Hong Kong?

Are domestic helpers treated fairly in Hong Kong? Immigration laws also leave foreign domestic helpers excluded from ever gaining permanent residency status, no matter how long they have worked in Hong Kong. Being required to live with their employers can leave domestic helpers no haven from abuse they might face.

Do foreign domestic workers face exploitation in Hong Kong?

Domestic workers in Hong Kong have faced increased levels of physical and sexual abuse – including rape – in the wake of official advice that they stay locked down at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Putri, 29, from Indonesia, took up her first overseas job in Hong Kong in 2019.

How are domestic workers treated by their employees?

Many of these workers are subjected to abuse, sexual harassment, and social inequality. However, because domestic workers work in the home, their struggles are hidden in the home and out of the public spotlight.

What are the conditions of domestic workers?

Around the world, domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses with respect to their working conditions. They often work for excessively long hours, with little to no pay, and with almost no access to social protections.

Why are there so many domestic helpers in Hong Kong?

To deal with the resulting labour shortage and increase in labour costs, the female labour force was mobilised. Two-income families sought help to manage their households, creating a demand for domestic workers. Female participation in the workforce increased, from 47.5 percent in 1982 to 54.7 percent in 2013.

What are foreign domestic workers?

Foreign domestic workers clean, cook, care for our kids, look after our elderly family members, performing many essential tasks so that we can focus on our own jobs. Despite their important role, they are among the most exploited and abused workers in Singapore.

Why do you think help for domestic workers recently changed their name from Helpers for Domestic Helpers?

Our Brand. Though we got our start as Helpers for Domestic Helpers (HDH), it was time for change in order to stay current with the times. Our organisation’s mission is to aid and support domestic workers and help them gain access to justice under the law. Changing our name is about human dignity.

Why does maid abuse happen?

Unpaid salaries, excessive working hours, work injuries, physical and psychological abuse are some of the common problems these workers face. Some of them may also be victims of human trafficking. They run a shelter for domestic workers, helpdesks for domestic workers and male migrant workers.

What are the duties of a domestic worker?

Common domestic duties include the following tasks:

• Preparing meals.
• Washing dishes.
• Shopping for groceries and supplies.
• Vacuuming / mopping / sweeping the floor.
• Dusting and wiping shelves and other furniture.
• Cleaning the toilet / rooms / windows.
• Doing the laundry and ironing.
• Making beds.

How many hours must a domestic worker work?

Hours of work: Employees are allowed to work: • A maximum of 45 ordinary hours per week; • 9 ordinary hours on any day if the domestic worker works for 5 days or less per week • 8 ordinary hours on any day if the domestic worker works for more than 5 days per week.

How many foreign domestic workers are there in Hong Kong?

Comprising five percent of Hong Kong’s population, about 98.5% of them are women. In 2019, there were 400,000 foreign domestic helpers in the territory.

How many foreign domestic helpers are there in Hong Kong?

370,000 Foreign Domestic Helpers
As of Sep., 2020, there is approximately 370,000 Foreign Domestic Helpers working in Hong Kong. The majority of our Foreign Domestic Helpers come from the Philippines (204,000) and Indonesia (155,000).

Why are foreign domestic helpers allowed to work in Hong Kong?

The Government has permitted foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to work in Hong Kong since the 1970’s to meet the shortage of local full-time live-in domestic helpers. The arrangement is in line with the fundamental principle of the Government’s labour policy that local workers enjoy priority in employment.

What do you call a foreign domestic worker in China?

In Chinese-language government documentation, foreign domestic helpers are referred to as 家庭傭工 (domestic workers) “of foreign nationality” (外籍家庭傭工) or “recruited from abroad” (外地區聘用家庭傭工). Although the government uses words with the same meanings in English-language documentation, it substitutes the term “domestic helper ” for “domestic worker “.

Why are there so many Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong?

The Indonesians provided competition, since those workers were often prepared to accept half the minimum wage. According to the Immigration Department, in 1998 there were 140,357 Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong and 31,762 from Indonesia.

Should foreign workers be able to apply for Hong Kong residency?

It has not been applied since 16 July 2008, and has since been abolished. Whether foreign workers should be able to apply for Hong Kong residency is the subject of debate, and a high-profile court battle for residency by a foreign worker failed.