All foreign domestic helpers are working in a full-time mode and are living in the households of the employer. The Statutory Minimum Allowable Wage (effective from 29 September 2018) is HK$4,520 per month with food provision (HKSAR Government, 2019c).

About local domestic helpers, little is known about their socio-economic status. The Employee Retraining Board, a statutory body in Hong Kong, has issued guidelines and suggested wages for hiring local domestic helpers. The suggested rate is HK$85 – 105 per hour for ‘Escort for Out-patient visits’ and ‘Elderly Care for Elderly with self-care ability’, and HK$90 or above ‘for Elderly without self-care ability’. Each service session is suggested to last for at least 3 hours (Employee Retraining Board, 2019).

References:

Employee Retraining Board. (2019). Reference Wages of Smart Helpers. . Hong Kong: Employee Retraining Board, HKSAR Retrieved from https://www.erb.org/smartliving/download/suggested_wages_en.pdf.

HKSAR Government. (2019c, 28 September 2018). Press Releases – Minimum Allowable Wage and food allowance for foreign domestic helpers to increase. Retrieved from https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201809/28/P2018092800357.htm