Batgung

Question: I've heard that lots of people in Hong Kong hire domestic helpers. What does that involve? Are all domestic helpers from abroad and live-in? Is it possible to employ a local staff on a permanent basis who works a 40-hour week and who live by themselves when they are not at work?

Mr T replies: What you've heard is certainly true. There are more than a couple hundred thousand domestic helpers working in Hong Kong, and many families (including the Talls) employ one. They are overwhelmingly from abroad. In the recent past, the vast majority were from the Philippines. Filipinos still predominate, but the numbers of Indonesian helpers is rising very fast, and there are also helpers recruited from Thailand, Sri Lanka, and other Asian countries. I've written three articles on what it's like to employ a domestic helper if you'd like to read more; links are here, here, and here. According to current regulations, your domestic helper must live in your home if she is from overseas. This requirement doesn't apply, of course, to helpers/housecleaners/babysitters, etc. (almost universally part-time) who are from Hong Kong.

Mr B adds: It's also definitely possible to get live-out domestic helpers [but only if they are HK residents}. I don't like the idea of someone living in permanently, as I feel it will really cut into my privacy. We just have someone in on weekdays to look after BabyB, and help with some of the housework.

A reader adds: Yes, it is possible to hire local people to work a 40 hour week for you, but it will likely be more expensive than hiring a foreign domestic helper.

The batgung add: The Hong Kong Immigration Department provides a great deal of information on employing domestic helpers.

This page is a good place to start if you want to find out more about the regulations related to hiring a local domestic helper.

Here is a sample contract for DHs.

This pamphlet (note that it's a .pdf file) is a more readable guide to employing DHs, and it includes samples of various receipts and letters you might well find useful.

This page has a long, long list of FAQs on domestic helpers, covering just about any imaginable eventuality.

If you are actually looking to begin the hiring process and want to search ads for helpers available in Hong Kong, here is a good place to start.