The bright lights, crowded streets, the towering buildings; Now, you are living your dream of working in Hong Kong. Hold on! Are you ready for everything? Working in a foreign land has its ups and downs. However, you can equip yourself with valuable information that can help you survive it. You can start with understanding and knowing your rights so that you can protect yourself from being abused. The basic rights in terms of wage, living condition, job description and medical benefits are important to know while working in Hong Kong.
In such cases, there are people you can contact to help you with your situation; the Immigration Department and the Labour Department can give you a hand when you face issues, that you think are already violating your rights.
Understanding Rights of a Domestic Worker in Hong Kong
Legal Rights: According to Cambridge Dictionary, it is the right to be treated equally, in a morally acceptable manner.
Having said that,here are the top 14 legal rights you should know to help you protect yourself from any types of abuse.
WAGE
- You should be paid the Minimum Allowable Wage, amounting to HK$ 4,310 per month.
- You should receive a pay slip/receipt, with the right amount, for your wage and food allowance.
LIVING CONDITION
- You cannot live outside your employer’s residence. Even though, flats in Hong Kong are small in sizes, the employer should still provide you an accommodation with reasonable privacy.
REST DAY
- You should be given 1 rest day per week.
- Your employer cannot ask you to do domestic duties during your rest day.
HOLIDAYS
- You are given 12 statutory holidays per year. In the event, that you are ask to work on a statutory holiday, you should be given another holiday within 60 days before or after the holiday which you worked.
DUTIES
- The scope of your work is within your employer’s household. It is your right to refuse if you are ask to work outside the address of your employers place. Example; performing domestic duties for his/her parents’ residence.
- You have the right to refuse to do duties that are not related to household duties.
- You are not allowed to drive.
ANNUAL LEAVE/ SICK LEAVE
- You are given 7 days of paid annual leave once you have worked for 1 year.
- If you have been working for 1 year, then you should be provided with 2 paid sick leave.
- You can refuse to work while you are on a sick leave.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
- Your employer has the responsibility to pay for your medical bills. In the event that you paid for the medical fee, then you can reimburse it from your employer. Remember to keep all the receipts and doctor’s certificate.
PERSONAL BELONGINGS
- It is illegal for your employer to keep your personal belongings, such as, phone, contract and passport.
Hong Kong is a great place to work and to earn a reasonable income, however, it is still best to empower ourselves with these information, so that we can fully exercise our legal rights, even if we are in a foreign country.
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