8 Things You Need to Know to Be a Domestic Helper in Hong Kong

Wazzup Pilipinas!

More than 160,000 Filipino citizen are currently working in Hong Kong as Foreign Domestic Helpers. The main objective for them is to support the financial needs of their family. In this amazing city, a lot of job opportunities are open. Caregivers, nannies, housekeepers or drivers are always available for qualified candidates. Any interest to work in Hong Kong? We tell you more about the process and the different benefits.

Where to find work?

As a helper looking for a job in Hong Kong you can contact legitimate agencies that act as a mediator between your probable employer and you. Your agency will support you, they will be on your behalf enter into a Standard Employment Contract under the supervision of the Director of Immigration. The agency or your employer will apply to the Immigration Department for an employment visa for you.

How much will you make?

Any foreign domestic helper has to be paid a Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) as standardized by the government and on the force from the date of your signing the contract as a domestic helper. The current MAW prevailing is set at HK$4,520 per month (equivalent to 31,000 pesos).

Additionally, other than the MAW, as a helper you are entitled to a suitable accommodation in the premises with understandable privacy, food allowances that are HK$1,075 (equivalent to 7,250 pesos), and free travel from the Philippines to Hong Kong and return tickets to the Philippines on expiry of the contract. The above MAWs and contract terms are applicable for any contracts 29 September 2018.

As mentioned under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (Cap.282), your employer should have an insurance policy that covers their liability for the ordinance and the common law for any mishap or injury that happens to you while working. Moreover, you are entitled to free medical treatment through the Standard Employee Contract when you are not well or catch a disease under the period of employment. A comprehensive insurance policy can be provided to you that covers all your medical and hospital requirements and bills according to the Compensation Ordinance. An online guide is present to help foreign domestic helpers and more information can be sought from that regarding your employment. Besides the helper job and domestic duties mentioned in the contract that you have been employed for, employers are not allowed to make you work for anyone else. In these cases, the helper and the aider will be tried for forgery and can be tried for criminal prosecution.

Statutory Obligations of your employer

Since you as a foreign domestic helper provide services for employer’s household. There are chances of you having an intimate relationship with the employer and their family members. This makes it absolutely necessary for the employer and you to have mutual respect and understanding. There should be efforts from both sides to maintain an amicable relationship. As an employee, you should make sure that your employer observes these obligations under the Hong Kong laws.

Labour Legislation

In Hong Kong, as foreign helpers, you have the same rights, benefits, and protection mentioned under the labor rules and laws as your local counterparts (Racial Discrimination Ordinance).

As a foreign helper, you are entitled to equal opportunity and no racial discrimination under the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Terminating of the Contract

If you are not happy in your position and If you want to terminate your employment contract, you can ask your employer to contact the Immigration Department by notifying them in writing within seven days of the date of the termination. On your side, you will have to respect a notice period of one month before to go back in Philippines.

Working hours

Hong Kong does not enforce any legal working hour and domestic helpers work on an average of up to 10 hours. This depends on the nature of the job as taking care of children is a full-time job. Also since you would be living with your employers, you are always going to be on-call and will not have a specified working schedule. However, you can negotiate with your employer early on for a stipulated timeframe for working. Considering your sleep and good health is very important before working for more than 12 hours a day.

Rest Days

As a domestic helper, you are entitled to one weekly rest day of at least 24 hours continuously under the immigration employment contract. Some employers might want you to perform basic tasks even on rest days. Imposing any curfews on you from the employer is very wrong and you should talk about not having such obligations placed in the first place.

Employers are not allowed to pay you extra money to work on your day offs, even if you agree to work on these days. If your employer makes you work on a day, they need to compensate the day off within the next 30 days.

Working abroad is a challenge, you will be fare from your family and living in a country with a different country. Talk to your friends and your family to get feedback about their experiences. Do not only consider the financial part, take time to weight the pros and cons before starting to search for an employer.

National Summit Propels Civil Society Engagement in Democratic Governance

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Last October 9, leaders and stakeholders from civil society, business, media, academe and the youth gathered together for the first “Innovations for Good Governance Summit” hosted by the INNOVATEGov Project.

The summit featured local and international speakers who comprehensively discussed themes in pursuit of a governance roadmap for a “Dream Philippines” and panel discussions such as: the role of science and technology in promoting good governance; impact of women and people’s councils in achieving good governance; role of media literacy and arts in supporting democratic governance; mainstreaming the youth agenda in governance reforms; and, how good governance enables inclusive business.

The Summit enjoined civil society engagement in supporting a holistic and inclusive governance agenda that promotes democratic values and principles. The summit culminated with “Good Governance Pledge” where summit participants affirmed their support on a set of shared democratic values – centered on citizen participation, transparency, accountability, freedom and rule of law.

“You are part of a global trend. The Philippines is not alone. The whole world is changing around us. As you work to improve on the Philippines, [you have to] think globally because you are part of a global trend but also act locally, because nobody knows the Philippines as much as you do. Nobody can help the Philippines as much as you do,” Mr. Abdulwahab Alkebsi, the Managing Director for Programs of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), advised the delegates. As part of his address, he explained that the current political condition of the country relates to the global challenges of economic disenfranchisement, threats of terrorism, and perceived threat to identity that many countries are also facing today. Through the creation of the Innovations for Good Governance Summit, Mr. Alkebsi expressed his hope and praise to the Filipinos on combating these problems by initiating a roadmap for good governance in the Philippines.

Alluding this gathering as a gathering of the multisectoral –representing government, business, and civil society --Dr. Jess Estanislao encouraged the delegates to become part of the development of the nation by outlining the framework of “Dream Philippines”.  As a closing statement, Dr. Jess Estanislao also gave an advice to not be confined to only one issue of our country and to think long term and national when it comes to creating solutions for our country’s problems. As he put it, “The reality of life is shaped by many issues whether it may be closely or not interrelated to one another, this is why I think national competitiveness becomes a compelling rally cry for all of us. It is about national self-respect, about the dignity of the Philippines, and about the ability of the Filipinos to prove themselves not only on their country but also in many other countries as well. “

InnovateGov Project enables stakeholder engagement on national issues and global challenges by raising awareness on good governance issues, performance standards, and frameworks on better public-private dialogue. This initiative is supported by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in partnership with the De La Salle University Jesse M. Robredo  Institute of Governance, Institute for Solidarity in Asia, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National Competitiveness Council, and the Makati Business Club.

Prior to the National Summit, two successful consultative dialogues were held in Cagayan de Oro and Puerto Princesa last July.  The regional dialogues enabled participants to address and participate in providing key solutions towards grassroots problems of good governance in accordance with the dimensions of the TrustedGov framework, namely: institutional strengthening, economic freedom, access to social services, and environmental governance.

By creating opportunities that highlight innovative approaches in multi-stakeholder participation and public policy-making, InnovateGov opened up an avenue for students, young professionals, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders, to engage in good governance both in local and national levels. The summit enkindled hope for social change -- that is, for as long as there are citizens actively exercising their rights to develop good governance strategies in their chosen sectors and communities.

For more information about this topic, please visit www.innovategovph.com

Planning an Essex Wedding? Ideas for your Perfect Wedding

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Essex is so steeped in history that it makes an excellent choice of location for your wedding! Of course, you will also need to book an experienced wedding videographer that is very familiar with the area so that you can get the best possible results for your wedding film.

Choosing the best wedding videographer Essex has to offer will be a great investment in your wedding that will really pay off. White Dress Films are a dedicated team of wedding videographers that truly go the extra mile to make every single wedding ceremony they record a very memorable occasion to look back on and re-live for years to come.

.                        Abundant wedding venue choices

Essex is blessed with plenty of historic towns and ancient villages that hold amazing buildings and ample beautiful countryside for a truly romantic wedding. You also have the opportunity to be near to the coast too if you fancy a very dramatic and natural backdrop to your wedding ceremony.

What could be more dramatic and memorable than getting married in an ancient castle or in the very grand settings of a stately home? A lot of well-appointed historical wedding venues come with plenty of photo opportunities because of the classical architecture, but many also come with extensive well-manicured and mature gardens that provide a perfect backdrop for your big day.

Love the great outdoors?

If you like the idea of a country wedding, it may surprise you to learn that Essex has plenty of parklands and outdoor locations that have been approved for civil weddings. In fact, civil weddings have been approved in over 150 venues that include historic castles, countryside barns and even the wide open spaces on offer at Essex golf and country clubs. 

This means that you can hold your wedding and your reception at the same venue without having to worry about moving your whole wedding part from one location to another between your ceremony and celebrations.

For example, Hedingham Castle is a very popular setting for a romantic Essex wedding. Not only do you have the use of this 900-year-old historic keep and a Georgian House, but you also get to enjoy superb landscaped gardens to create a truly magical wedding. You can hold your wedding ceremony in the great Banqueting Hall and then create some romantic memories wandering the beautiful grounds.

If you desire the green, rolling countryside for your wedding backdrop, then Braxted Park should be on your possible wedding venue list. An elegant Georgian mansion set within the heart of the Essex countryside, the stately home is surrounded by amazing gardens with stunning water features and dramatic mood lighting to light up the gardens to create an romantic atmosphere for your evening reception.

Capture the memories of your special day forever

No matter whether you choose a lively town or city setting for your wedding, or you prefer a more historical setting, you can trust White Dress Films to truly deliver a wonderful wedding film of your special day that you can treasure forever.