Hiring domestic help in Hong Kong

One of the real luxuries of expat life in Hong Kong is being able to hire low-cost, full-time domestic help. The pace of life here is fast, and a live-in helper takes on much of the household routine, from the cleaning and laundry to cooking, childcare, and the daily errands. In some homes, helpers also turn their hand to gardening, washing the car, looking after pets, and helping with elderly relatives.

The helpers who do this work come from across Asia. Hong Kong has one of the world’s largest populations of foreign domestic helpers, and several hundred thousand are employed across the city. Most come from the Philippines, and Indonesians make up the next largest group. A smaller number arrives from Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Visas, eligibility and costs

A helper hired from abroad is recognised as an overseas domestic worker rather than a Hong Kong permanent resident, and their visa is tied entirely to the current job. The employer sponsors it by signing the Standard Employment Contract (form ID 407), which the Immigration Department requires before it will issue the visa.

To take on a helper, you need to be a Hong Kong resident with a monthly household income of at least HKD 15,000, or assets of a comparable amount to cover the two-year contract.

The employer also covers the upfront costs of hiring. These include the visa application, the medical examination, insurance, and the helper’s airfare from home to Hong Kong.

Labour laws in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government sets out a range of labour laws to protect domestic helpers, and employers should get to grips with the main ones before taking someone on.

  • Foreign domestic helpers can only be employed full time, and they must live in their employer’s home, in suitable accommodation with reasonable privacy.
  • The government sets a Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for domestic helpers, and employers who pay below it may face fines or imprisonment.
  • Employers must provide three meals a day, or a food allowance in their place. The government sets the minimum allowance.
  • Helpers are entitled to at least one rest day a week and to all statutory holidays.
  • A helper earns seven days of paid annual leave after the first 12 months of continuous service, then one extra day for every further year, up to a maximum of 14 days after nine years. Leave in that first year is at the employer’s discretion, and any leave still owing when a contract ends must be paid out.
  • The contract must be signed for a minimum of two years.
  • When a contract is renewed, the helper must first return home for a break of at least seven days before starting the new term, and the employer pays for the trip.
  • Either party can terminate a contract early with one month’s written notice, or a month’s wages in lieu.
  • After an early termination, both parties must notify the Immigration Department in writing within seven days, and the helper may stay on in Hong Kong for up to two weeks.
  • At the end or termination of any contract, the employer pays the helper’s return airfare to their home country.
  • A helper who completes five years of continuous service, and whose contract then ends without renewal, is usually owed a long-service payment, unless the reason is serious misconduct or redundancy.
  • During the contract, the employer must cover the helper’s medical care, including any hospital stay and emergency dental treatment.
  • Employees’ Compensation Insurance is compulsory for every helper. An employer who fails to arrange it commits a criminal offence, and the premium cannot be deducted from the helper’s wages. Many go further and take out comprehensive medical cover as well, which several insurers offer in packages for domestic workers.

Useful links

Life with a domestic helper in Hong Kong

As long as employers treat them well, most foreign domestic helpers settle happily into life in Hong Kong. The pay is decent and the work stable, and the city’s large Filipino and Indonesian communities make homesickness easier to bear. Plenty of helpers stay with the same family for years, and long-serving employers on expat forums often speak of someone who has become part of the household. The arrangement is far from perfect, though, and advocacy groups continue to campaign for a higher food allowance to keep pace with rising costs.

Some employers go a step further and invest in their helper’s development by paying for classes where they can pick up skills such as cooking, childcare, first aid, and elderly care.

It pays to set clear expectations early. Sit down with your helper to agree on the main duties, working hours, rest days, and house rules, and put it all in writing so that as little as possible is left to guesswork. It also helps when your helper feels able to raise concerns as they arise, because small problems are far simpler to resolve before they grow into bigger ones. Employers who respect their helper’s weekly rest day and privacy at home tend to enjoy a more settled, longer-lasting arrangement.

Further reading

►For advice on finding a home in the Fragrant Harbour, see Accommodation in Hong Kong

Are you an expat living in Hong Kong?

Expat Arrivals is looking for locals to contribute to this guide, and answer forum questions from others planning their move to Hong Kong. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute, or fill in our expat interview form to be featured.