Frequently Asked Questions
Renewal contract

Yes. Whether Indonesian or Filipino maid, we can also handle contract renewal procedures for you

Two months before the contract expires, the visa approval time for renewal of the contract is usually about 3-4 weeks.

No other hidden fees, just $1,298 for renewal. After the contract is renewed, you only need to pay attention to purchasing employment insurance for the maid.

No, we will submit the documents to the consulate and immigration department for the employer and the maid during the whole contract renewal application process

Filipino maid
If a Filipino maid wants to go back to their home country for vacation, it is best to apply for an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) before leaving the country.
  • Make an appointment online or go to the consulate in-person to complete the application procedures. For details, please visit: http://bmonline.ph
  • The following documents should be brought with you when going to the consulate
    • Passport with valid work visa
    • Air tickets
    • Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) membership
    • Employer leave letter
    • Application fee HKD$20
Indonesian maid
Employers are required to prepare the following documents for maid for the purpose of going through Immigration

Employer's Tips

Imprisoned for 5 years and fined $300,000 .

The current legislation does not require employers to pay year-end bonuses or "double pay" to maids.

According to the law, in addition to paying off the wages owed to the helper, the employer is also required to pay the maid as follows:
1. Dismissal notice (one month salary);
2. Sickness allowances to which maids are entitled
3. In lieu of wages for which annual leave has not been taken;
4. Long Service Payment / Severance Payment (if applicable); and
5. Other payments to be paid to the maid according to the employment contract, such as providing travel expenses, meals and transportation allowances, etc.
According to the current legislation in Hong Kong, the living security of female employees, that is, Item 18 (Chinese) of the "Explanation of Employment Contracts" and applicable to maids include the following: If they have been employed for 40 consecutive weeks before the expected date of maternity leave, they can Paid maternity leave; Paid maternity leave for pregnant employees in cases where the number of children born does not exceed two; The maternity leave period is four weeks before the expected date of confinement and six weeks after the actual date of confinement;
Employers may not dismiss a pregnant employee after she has been employed for twelve weeks and given notice of maternity leave;
When the MAID has served the employer for 12 weeks (that is, three months), she can issue a maternity leave notice to the employer and receive job security. Employers are absolutely not allowed to dismiss the maid after receiving notification of pregnancy; offenders can be fined up to 100,000 yuan. In addition, employers should be aware that if he fails to pay maternity leave, maternity leave pay (four-fifths of normal wages) or sickness allowance for employee absences due to inspections (equivalent to two-thirds of normal wages), the employer can be fined up to $50,000. Even if the employer dismisses a pregnant maid, in addition to the normal dismissal procedures and compensation, the employer also pays the maid seven days' wages as compensation for dismissal. It is worth noting that the 1996 Employment Amendment Bill, one of the most controversial clauses on maternity protection, prohibits employers from requiring pregnant employees to perform heavy, dangerous or harmful work. MAIDs can ask the employer to stop any routine heavy and harmful maternity work within 14 days after notification of pregnancy. If the employer asks the pregnant maid to handle the above work without a reasonable explanation, the maximum fine is $50,000.

Dismissing a maid who is on paid sick leave is an offence, subject to prosecution and, upon conviction, a fine of HK$100,000. (Except summary dismissal due to maid's gross negligence)

For frequently asked questions about maids, you may refer to the following webpages of the Labour Department:
http://www.labour.gov.hk/tc/public/pdf/wcp/PointToNotesForEmployersOnEmployment(FDH).pdf
A Concise Guide to Employment Ordinance
http://www.labour.gov.hk/tc/public/ConciseGuide.htm
http://www.labour.gov.hk/tc/faq/content.htm

This generally includes household chores, cooking, and caring for their family members. (According to the employer's residential address specified in the standard employment contract (Form ID407) and full-time housekeeping)

Can. For example, going out to buy groceries, taking children to and from school, caring for family and children while eating out, washing the car, and delivering food or personal items outside the employer's residence to the employer or his family members are all considered household duties.

Can't. Employers who assign maid to perform duties other than domestic chores or work for persons other than the employers specified on the visa are in breach of the Immigration Ordinance and may be prosecuted. If you employ illegal part-time jobs, you can be fined up to HK$350,000 and imprisoned for three years. According to the "Immigration Ordinance", maids can only work for the employer specified on the visa, and the service targets are limited to the employer and the declared family members, and all service targets must live at the declared employer's address.

For each MAID employed, the employer's household income must be no less than HK$15,000 per month, or the employer must have assets of a similar amount and be financially able to pay for the entire employment contract period. Generally speaking, if an elderly parent applies for employment of a maid, the Immigration Department may consider accepting financial proof provided by the child to support the application.

Can't. All maids in Hong Kong, regardless of nationality, must receive at least the minimum wage stipulated by the Hong Kong government. This stipulates that for standard employment contracts signed on or after September 28, 2019, employers must pay HK$4,870 per month in accordance with the "required minimum wage" .

Medical examination fees, consulate verification fees, visa fees, insurance fees, administrative fees (or other administrative fees for overseas employment in the Philippines, or similar fees imposed by relevant government agencies) and other fees. In addition, during the contract period, they must be provided with suitable and reasonably private accommodation, free medical treatment, free meals or meal allowances (*currently HK$1,236 per month), and employees' compensation insurance (commonly known as "labor insurance").

You can negotiate with your sister about how to pay the salary. If the MAID requires payment in cash, our branch will provide a "Salary and Leave Receipt" template for the employer to sign when the MAID pays wages to prove that the employer has paid the monthly wages. Or pay by bank transfer and get an official bank receipt.

The employer must first obtain the consent of both parties before the employer can arrange for the maid to take unpaid leave in Hong Kong.

Get Along with the Family

Employers should arrange moderate work for maids to prevent them from thinking wildly in their spare time. At the same time, they can have video conversations with their family members during breaks to understand their homesickness.

Employers should not issue orders to the maid immediately, but use the method of persuasion to point out the wrongdoings of the maid afterwards. Clearly explain that you should focus on your work while you are at work, so as not to affect your productivity and focus. In addition, you can regularly review the work with the maid, and tell her various performances and areas for improvement, so that the maid can clearly understand your requirements, so that she can improve her work in the future.

It is recommended that the employer conduct a job review with the maid before renewing the contract, analyze her work performance and areas for improvement, so that the maid can clearly understand your requirements and understand the maid’s expectations for the new contract, so as to reduce misunderstandings. In addition, the employer should also arrange regular work reviews with the MAID so that she can improve her future work.

You should check your home's camcorders first to see if there is any theft. If it is true, please report it to the police and hand it over to the police. Stealing is a criminal offense, never solve it privately, the police can investigate the case more effectively for you.

According to the Employment Ordinance, if a maid breaks valuables, the salary deduction is capped at HK$300 for each damaged or lost item. The total amount of wages deducted in a month shall not exceed one-fourth of the wages that the helper can receive in that wage period. Be aware that if the salary is deducted immediately for the first time, the sister may have negative emotions. Employers are advised to let my sister know that she is very distressed that the electrical appliance is broken, and ask her to participate in the process of purchasing a new electrical appliance or asking someone to repair it. After making my sister feel the same and knowing the seriousness of the problem, she promised to be more careful in the future, so as to prevent the problem from happening again.

Employers can tell maid that Hong Kong people live a fast-paced life and have a diverse diet. They do not necessarily need to prepare rice for breakfast, so that maids can adapt to the eating habits of the employer's family. It is recommended to understand the dietary taboos of the maid due to religious or physical problems when signing the contract. For example, an Indian maid who does not eat pork can confirm with her that she can prepare pork meals for the employer's family.

Although the maids have received language training before arriving in Hong Kong, their native language is not Cantonese, and sometimes communication difficulties are inevitable. Employers can use Cantonese with body language to communicate with helpers. At the same time, we also provide free "Cantonese training courses" for helpers. If necessary, please call the customer service hotline to arrange follow-up for you.

Now We Answer You

Employers should first discuss work arrangements with the maid. If the maid can complete the work alone, the employer can try to increase the salary to allow the maid to take care of the newborn baby. If the workload is too large, employers should employ additional maids depending on the family situation. Employers are advised to revise the latest work scope and arrangements in the new contract.

Termination without notice or payment in lieu of notice is only applicable in the following exceptional circumstances: the helper willfully disobeys a lawful and reasonable order;
misconduct; commit fraud or dishonesty; Or often neglect their duties.
Borrowing money from a finance company is only a personal matter. If a maid borrows money and the finance company causes a nuisance to the employer, it is an inappropriate behavior.
However, if the MAID does not cause nuisance to the employer by borrowing money, it is not an act of misconduct, and the employer must pay the notice fee if he immediately dismisses the MAID.

When installing the camcorder, care must be taken not to violate the privacy of others. In the dwelling, the toilet or the personal room of the domestic helper is a private place, so cameras must never be installed. Employers need to notify MAIDs about the arrangement of installing video cameras, and cannot record videos to others without their knowledge.

The current Employment Ordinance does not specify the scope of "housework" in detail. In fact, there are some gray areas in the definition of "housework", but the general understanding of housework includes: laundry, cooking, cleaning the house, taking care of children, playing garden or pets, etc. Therefore, teaching children homework also belongs to the scope of housework.

In general, employers or MAIDs who encounter problems similar to the above should contact the Labour Relations Section of the Labour Department. In principle, taking care of children in the store is also a kind of housework, but if the maid takes care of the children in the store for the employer for a long time, it violates the provisions of the employment contract I.D.407 that the maid should work as a domestic helper in the employer's residence.