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| Employers are given relief, but asked to shelter their FDHs who will be quarantined under new travel rules |
The Hong Kong government
has extended further the validity period of expiring foreign domestic helpers’
contracts to Jul. 31.
The advisory, issued today, Mar 19, covers all contracts
that are expiring on or before June 30. Those that had already been extended up
to May 30 may be given a further extension under today’s directive.
The measure is intended to provide relief to employers whose
newly hired helpers are unable to fly into Hong Kong
because of travel restrictions associated with the Covid-19 epidemic.
The Commissioner for Labour has given consent to the
additional extension period for expiring contracts, as long as it’s agreed upon
by both the employer and the helper.
Employers may apply directly
to the Director of Immigration before Jun 30 for the extension of their FDH’s
period of employment and stay.
Earlier, the government extended FDH contracts expiring on
or before Mar 30, to May 30.
This means contracts that should expire this month could be
extended for up to four months, or until Jul 31.
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| Thousands rushed to fly to Hong Kong before the expanded quarantine rules took effect |
Meanwhile, the HK Labour Department has appealed to
employers to take in their foreign domestic workers who will be put under
14-day home quarantine under new travel restrictions.
If the employer prefers that their helpers stay out of their
residences, they should make prior arrangements with their employment agencies.
In such cases, the employer will pay for both the food and accommodation of the
helper.
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In either case, the helper is required to stay indoors at
all times, which means they can be made to do household chores.
A migrant workers’ support organization, the Asian Migrants
Coordinating Body, urged the Labour Department to strictly monitor the FDW’s
condition under home quarantine, and
ensure that she is paid her salary and provided with basic daily needs.
The AMCB said in a statement that the close monitoring should
continue if the employer chooses to send the worker to an agency-run shelter.
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According to the group, there had been numerous cases where workers
staying in a shelter run by employment agencies were subjected to abuse, and
prevented from learning about their rights in Hong Kong .
AMCB also called for adequate protection for FDWs against
Covid-19, citing its recent survey which showed a big number of them are not
provided by their employers with protective materials such as face masks and
sanitizers.
The mandatory 14-day quarantine that took effect on Mar 19 will last for three months. All quarantined travelers will be subjected to strict monitoring through a wrist monitor they're required to wear at all times.
Those found violating quarantine rules face a fine of up to $25,000, or imprisonment of up to six months.
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Those found violating quarantine rules face a fine of up to $25,000, or imprisonment of up to six months.
The quarantine is being imposed on all new arrivals in Hong Kong , whatever their nationality or visa status, in the wake of a spike in the number of imported cases in the city.
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