End of quarantine means lower salaries for FDHs, says recruiter

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

The reported dip in FDH salaries could impact the govt's decision on their new minimum wage

Hong Kong’s decision to scrap the three-day hotel quarantine may result in more foreign domestic helpers coming in, but it has also resulted in an overall drop in salaries, says the head of an employment agency group.

Thomas Chan, head of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, says almost all of the FDHs coming from the Philippines now have been signed up to receive the minimum wage of $4,630.

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“For those (hired) in Hong Kong, most of them – over 90% - receive salaries of from $4,800 to $5,500,” he said. In isolated or rare cases, the worker is paid between $6,500 to $8,000.

The average range now is far lower than before because there is now a steady supply of workers coming in, with the employers paying far less to bring them over.

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A three-day stay at a quarantine hotel used to set them back around $5,000 – but had to pay at least double this if they wanted the helper to spend the next four days of medical surveillance in another hotel or hostel.

The supply had dipped considerably when Hong Kong had set the mandatory hotel quarantine to 21 days, gradually reducing it to 14, then seven days.

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But it was worse when Hong Kong banned all passenger flights from sending countries twice –last year and early this year – because of a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Chan also said that despite the lifting of the quarantine requirement, about 30% of employers still want their helpers to stay in a hostel or dormitory during their three-day medical surveillance upon arrival.

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Latest statistics from the Immigration Department show that there has been a steady decline in the number of FDHs overall, with more than 20,000 jobs being lost over the past year alone. It rermains to be seen if the numbers will pick up with the easing of the travel restrictions.

The current salaries offered to FDHs could have an impact on the ongoing study by the government on what the new minimum allowable wage for them should be. A decision is expected within this week, for implementation next month, in line with the previous practice.

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Migrant organizations are calling for the MAW to be set at no less than $6,014, pointing out that their salaries had been kept at the same level for the past two years.

Also, that they were never given financial assistance by the government during the pandemic, when permanent residents and new residents were given cash aid, then spending vouchers in the past three years.

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But according to Chan, employers find it “reasonable” to pay the current minimum wage of $4,630 to workers coming from their home countries for the first time. For those with experience working in Hong Kong, he said they will not mind paying from $4,800 to $5,500 a month.

As for his personal view, Chan said he predicts the government will increase the salary to $4,800, which is in line with the 4% percent pay hike given to civil servants recently.

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FDH numbers continue to drop

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

More migrant workers have left than arrived in Hong Kong since the start of the pandemic 

The number of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong has continued to drop for the past three months, despite a slight rebound between April and June this year, after a three-month flight ban on most sending countries was lifted.

Latest figures supplied by the Immigration Department showed that the total number of FDHs as of the end of August this year was 333,516 – a drop of 1,068 compared with the previous month, when the total number was at 334,584.

Year-on-year, or from August last year to August this year, the drop has been a whopping 21,260.

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The decline eased slightly in the past eight months of 2022, but continued nevertheless, with 3,765 FDH jobs being lost during this period.

This was the result, not just of the notoriously strict anti-coronavirus measures adopted by Hong Kong, but also of a drop in demand, with tens of thousands of residents moving to other countries amid the pandemic.

It remains to be seen if the numbers will go up again next month, after Hong Kong lifted its mandatory hotel quarantine for inbound travelers, which could entice residents to come back and boost the market for FDHs.

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But one other reason appears to be the stricter enforcement by the Immigration Department of its 14-day policy towards FDHs, which mandates that a migrant worker whose contract is prematurely terminated, should return to his/her place of origin, unless in exceptional circumstances.

This practice, says Immigration, is to prevent FDHs from “job-hopping”, or moving to other employers who give them better benefits and less work.

It is a claim that many migrant support organizations have steadfastly rejected, saying workers would not quit their jobs and risk being sent home, unless pushed to their limit by their employers.

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According to data supplied by Immigration, the number of visa applications they have rejected in the first eight months of the year was 1,325. Between July and August alone, 162 applications were denied for this reason.

For the entire 2021, when calls from pro-government legislators for a stricter implementation of the 14-day rule were most strident, a total of 2,833 such applications were rejected.

Responding to a query, an Immigration spokesperson said in an email to The SUN that the decision to deny the applications was in line with the prevailing policy requiring an FDH to leave Hong Kong upon completion of employment contract or within two weeks from the date of contract termination, whichever is the earlier.

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“Save for the exceptional circumstances deemed reasonable by the ImmD (including the premature termination of contract owing to the transfer, migration, death or financial reasons of the original employer, or where there is evidence that the FDH has been abused or exploited), an application from a FDH for change of employer in Hong Kong within the two-year contract period will normally not be approved,” said the spokesperson.

“If the FDH wishes to take up employment with a new employer, he or she must return to his or her place of origin and apply for the appropriate visa directly to the Director of Immigration either online, by post or through the new employer.”

Unlike in the past months, when the biggest decline was recorded among Filipinos, more Indonesians lost their jobs in the past month.

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Between July and August this year, Indonesia lost 631 of its migrant workers, compared with 537 from the Philippines.

The decline in numbers happened across all ethnic groups, except among the Indians, who saw an additional 100 workers coming to work here during the past month.

The figures supplied by Immigration are below:

Foreign Domestic Helper(FDH) population from Aug 2021 to Aug 2022

As at			Philippines	Indonesia	India	Thailand	Others	Total
2021	8	31	198 625	147 971	4 113	1 930	2 137	354 776
2021	9	30	197 817	146 958	4 095	1 915	2 103	352 888
2021	10	31	197 412	145 957	4 028	1 894	2 117	351 408
2021	11	30	197 071	145 000	3 997	1 864	2 118	350 050
2021	12	31	191 783	140 057	3 836	1 775	2 000	339 451
2022	1	31	189 887	139 855	3 763	1 799	1 977	337 281
2022	2	28	187 002	137 788	3 665	1 787	1 942	332 184
2022	3	31	184 685	136 304	3 615	1 776	1 891	328 271
2022	4	30	186 666	137 268	3 888	1 771	1 936	331 529
2022	5	31	189 414	138 017	3 996	1 775	1 999	335 201
2022	6	30	189 652	138 713	3 974	1 764	2 003	336 106
2022	7	31	188 708	138 125	4 007	1 763	1 981	334 584
2022	8	31	188 171	137 494	4 117	1 757	1 977	333 516

Number of FDH visa applications refused due to suspected job hopping

	2021	Jan to Aug 2022
Number of FDH visa applications refused due to suspected job hopping	2 833	1 325

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CE sends out strong warning to Covid rule violators

By The SUN

  

CE Lee mentions the 25,000 fake medical certificates as among the acts that must be condemned

Chief Executive John Lee said Tuesday that anyone who does not comply with anti-pandemic restrictions must be condemned.

Speaking before the Executive Council meeting this morning, the CE said the decision to scrap hotel quarantine for new arrivals and instead give them an amber code which will prevent them entering high-risk places like restaurants for three days, has been largely welcomed.

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However, he said the success of the “0+3” arrangement will depend largely on whether people will comply with the health-code restrictions as well as the order to get themselves tested for Covid on designated days.

"If they don't do [the tests], the success of the 'zero plus three' plan will not be as effective because there may be a rebound of cases, simply because of people not complying with what they're required to do," the CE said.

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"We have to condemn this non-compliance because it affects every one of us. It affects my plan of looking at possible new areas where we can allow more free activities…"

Inbound travelers are required to undergo PCR tests on arrival, and on days 2, 4 and 6 afterwards. They must also conduct self-tests using rapid antigen test kits for seven days, and report the results daily.

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CE Lee said more than 40 people have been found to have broken the red code rule by leaving their place of isolation. In addition, about 8 percent of those issued with  compulsory testing notices each month failed to comply with the requirement.

He also mentioned the 25,000 bogus medical certificates issued by seven doctors that allowed people to get a vaccine pass on the pretext that they had a medical condition that prevented them from receiving inoculation.

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The government announced later on that these fake medical certificates have been disallowed, and the people involved must consult other doctors. Six of the doctors who allegedly issued the questioned certificates have been arrested, while the seventh is being sought. 

CE Lee said the government will continue to monitor whether the relaxed rules lead to a rebound in Covid infections.

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But as the city opens up, he said many different activities will resume, including exhibitions and people on business trips will start coming back.

Meanwhile, the government said in a statement that there were a total of 3,667 Covid infections yesterday, including 193 that were imported from overseas.

This was about 400 fewer than Monday’s tally.

Six more Covid patients have died.

As of today, 1,900 coronavirus patients are receiving treatment in public hospitals, including 43 who are critically ill and 42 in serious condition. Among those listed as critical, 13 are under intensive care.

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