HK nixes proposal for FDHs in nursing homes

Secretary Law

HONG KONG laws prohibit foreign domestic workers from working in elderly care homes, Labour and Welfare Secretary
Law Chi-kwong said.

Secretary Law made the statement after local media reported that the government was looking into the possibility of training
foreign domestic workers so that they would be able to work in the city’s subsidised elderly care homes.

“They cannot turn around and become imported labour, so this will not happen,” Law said on March 9.

Hong Kong labor regulations prohibit foreign domestic workers from taking any other employment while working in the
city, and they should work only in their employer’s home address.

However, Secretary Law the government might consider importing labour for elderly care homes in the future and it
would have to decide whether the workers would come from China or Southeast Asia.

“Of course, it will be another question whether the personnel employed in the process might be foreign domestic helpers
who have once worked in Hong Kong,” he said.

Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) earlier reported that the government was looking into a plan to allow FDHs to
work in nursing homes to ease the pressure on these facilities due to their chronic manpower shortages.

The report said these FDHs would likely be “paid significantly more.” The Oriental Daily, citing sources, reported that foreign domestic workers who would work in these elderly care homes could earn as much as $13,000.