All the domestic helpers on employment in Hong Kong are entitled to either free food or a food allowance from the employer. The 2023 food allowance amount is set at HK$ 1,236 per month, applicable to all the contracts signed on or after October 28th, 2023. Whether to give free food or food allowance is a personal choice of the employer. However, most employers choose to provide free food as the option is more convenient for them and also the employer believes that it helps them to save some amount instead of giving food allowance.
Like any other country, the employment rights of the foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong are protected by the law. This article is to discuss all you need to know about the helpers Food Allowance in Hong Kong along with other important things.
As per the law, a Hong Kong resident willing to hire a foreign domestic helper should pay a salary that is no less than the Minimum Allowable Wage currently set at HK$ 4,870 per month. Based on helper's experiences and skills, the salary is between HK$4,870 and HK$15,000. The Standard Employment Contract directs the employer to provide the helper with the following essentials during their employability:
Below are some of the important points regarding both of the options so that the employers and helpers can take an informed decision on what to choose.
The biggest benefit for an employer to offer a food allowance is the fact that it avoids any sort of conflicts over the amount of food your helper is eating or over the choice & quality of the food offered. Many times, the employer’s choice of food doesn’t coincide with that of the helper’s food habits and food allowance is a great way to prevent such conflict situations.
A wise thing to do for the employers is to develop a system of keeping workers signed monthly receipts of their salary and food allowance to protect their interests in case of any conflicts later on.
Although the food allowance has been set by the government based on the general labor market and living situation, it is completely up to the employer if they wish to increase the allowance later in case they feel that the set food allowance is not enough for the helper to eat healthily.
If in case the employer decides to follow the ‘free food’ condition to the helper, below are some of the important points to consider:
Below are some of the labor rights that the foreign domestic helpers enjoy and should know about-
To maintain the well-being of the domestic helper, it is the responsibility of the employer to follow all the conditions set under the law for the helper’s employability. The employer-helper relationship should be based on mutual trust and respect to benefit both the parties equally.