Employer Handbook

1) Application

Employer who wish to employ Helpers have to satisfy the following criteria :

(a) The Employer is financially capable of employing a Helper after his/her household expenditure has been deducted.  In general, for every Helper to be employed, the employer must have a household income of not less than HK$15,000 per month or assets of comparable amount to support the employment of a Helper, he/she must have at least HK$30,000 monthly household income or comparable assets.  The monthly household income figure of HK$15,000 may be adjusted by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from time to time.

(b) The Helper and the Employer shall enter into a standard Employment Contract (ID 407) as specified by the Director of Immigration.

(c) The Helper shall only be required to perform domestic duties for the Employer as per the Schedule of Accmmodation and Domestic Duties attached to the standard Employment Contract (ID 407).

(d) The Helper shall not be required or allowed by the Employer to take up any other employment with any other person during his/her stay in the HKSAR and within the contract period specified in Clause 2 of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407).

(e) The Employer undertakes to pay the Helper a salary that is not less than the minimum allowable wage announced by the HKSAR Government and prevailing at the date of application for employing the Helper.

(f) The Helper shall work and reside in the employer's residence as specified in Clause 3 of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407).

(g) The Helper shall be provided with suitable accommodation and reasonable privacy.

(h) The bonafide of the Employer and Helper are not in doubt; there is no known record to the detriment of either the Employer or the Helper.  For details of matters which will be taken into account, please refer to section IV on "Breaces" below.  The Employer is a bonafide resident in the HKSAR.

2. Wages

HK$3,580 per month.

3. Levy

Employers who apply to employ Helpers on or after 1 October 2003 are required to pay an Employees Retraining Levy (levy) in respect of the Helper to be employed to provide funds to train and retrain local workers.  The levy payable is HK$400 per month multiplied by the number of months covered by the employment contract.  It shall be paid in a lump sum before the issuance of visa or by four equal instalments with the first instalment paid before the issuance of visa.

4. Rest Days, Holidays and Annual Leaves

(a) One rest day in every period of seven days.

(b) Statutory Holidays

If the Helper has been employed continuously by the Employer for three months preceding any of these holidays; he/she is entitled to the holiday pay.  All foreign domestic helpers, irrespective of their length of services, are entitled to the following 12 statutory holidays in a year :-

- The first day of January;
- Lunar New Year's Day;
- The second day of Lunar New Year;
- The third day of Lunar New Year;
- Ching Ming Festival;
- The first day of May (Labour Day);
- Tuen Ng Festival;
- The first day of July (HKSAR Establishment Day);
- The first day of October (National Day);
- The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival;
- Chung Yeung Festival; and
- Chinese Winter Sostice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer).

(c) Annual Leave

A Helper is entitled to paid annual leave after serving every period of 12 months with the same employer.  The helper's entitlement to paid annual leave will increase progressively from seven days to a maximum of 14 days according to the length of service as follows : -