Coronavirus, Travel Ban: How Are Foreign Domestic Workers Coping With the Situation in Hong Kong?

HelperChoice has carried out a survey with 921 domestic workers currently deployed in Hong Kong where they shared how the current virus and travel ban from the Philippines are affecting their daily lives and work. There are currently 400,000 domestic helpers working in the city, of which a majority are from the Philippines and Indonesia, and this number is expected to keep rising in the coming years.

Losing Rest Days Over Safety Measures

After months of political unrest affecting Hong Kong, foreign domestic workers’ schedules are now facing a new challenge, the Coronavirus.

While every citizen is taking extra precautions to avoid being infected, the current situation is also preventing foreign domestic workers, for most times, to go out on their weekly rest day.

On the 30th of January, the Hong Kong Labour Department advised in an official notice, all foreign domestic workers to stay home on their rest day, the spokesperson saying:  “The Labour Department (LD) today (January 30) appealed to foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to stay home on their rest day in order to safeguard their personal health and to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community.”

Aside from the government recommendations, a large majority of the surveyed helpers either discussed the current situation with their employers (60%), their friends in the city (65%) or their relatives back home (76%).

Overall, the testimonies that HelperChoice collected are surprisingly positive. In those difficult times most employers encourage their helpers to take it easy. For example, Joy, a domestic worker in Hong Kong testifies: “My employers advised me to maintain good personal hygiene, avoid crowded places, avoid direct contact, like kissing on the cheeks or handshaking to greet someone. They also told me to take more time to sleep, as having enough rest will boost my immune system. Today, I appreciate my employers even more than I did before thanks to their consideration.”

Avoiding The Proliferation of Fake News

By analysing the social media channels of helpers’ communities in the city, the platform realised that there is a lot of misinformation. Mahee Leclerc, Head of HelperChoice in Hong Kong declares: “approximately 1/3rd of the Facebook posts about the virus that we see in foreign domestic workers’ groups are either inexact or completely untrue”. A concerning result as 84% of the respondents declare social media as their primary source of information about the virus.

She adds: “To avoid the proliferation of fake news, we advise all foreign workers to verify the sources everytime they receive or read new information, as well as double check them on other media. The best practice is to follow their Consulate Facebook page for updates, they can also follow the HelperChoice Facebook page as we regularly post verified information about the virus and safety guidelines”.

Travel Ban From The Philippines, Which Consequences?

HelperChoice also asked the respondents if they, or their relatives, were affected by the current travel ban from the Philippines. At the moment no Filipino citizen currently in the Philippines can travel to China or its Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong and Macao. 54% of the surveyed workers are not affected, 16% are personally affected and 30% have close friends or relatives affected by this ban.

The situation has left employers of foreign domestic workers in difficult situations as new overseas hires and domestic workers that went back to the Philippines for holidays are now unable to travel back to Hong Kong.

However, when asked what they think about this situation, the responses were extremely positive and understanding. For example, Giemar, a domestic worker currently deployed in Hong Kong, comments: “The travel ban must be followed, our government is doing a great action to prevent the spread of the virus and to ensure the safety of our fellow Filipino citizens… Keep safe Filipinos and God bless each and every one of us! Pray for those who are affected by the virus”.

While Che, another helper working in the city, says: “That’s the least we can do to help combat the virus! This is about world health concern. It may affect our existing plans as domestic workers here in Hong Kong, but it is necessary.”

Which Solutions For Employers of Foreign Domestic Workers?

While the The Hong Kong Labour Department gave consent for all foreign domestic workers’ contracts that expire on or before March 31 to be extended up to May 31, HelperChoice is the best solution for employers looking forward to hiring a new domestic worker right now.

HelperChoice is the first digital service to hire and provide training to domestic workers in Hong Kong. The platform proposes almost exclusively finished contract profiles. Being already in Hong Kong, helpers finishing their contracts are not affected by the travel ban and remain the best option for employers.

Also, by searching and interviewing domestic workers online through HelperChoice, employers can do most of the procedures from home, avoiding unnecessary journeys, as more Coronavirus cases are confirmed in the city every day.

Despite the situation, foreign domestic workers remain optimistic about the situation in Hong Kong. Overall, more than 90% of the helpers surveyed do not consider moving to another country to work and will remain in the city. A good outcome for Hong Kong society, as today 1 out of 7 families rely on foreign domestic workers to take care of their loved ones.

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Press contact:

Mahee LECLERC – ​mahee@helperchoice.com​ – +852 9132 3115

About HelperChoice

Founded in 2012 by two French banking executives in Hong Kong, HelperChoice has become the leading platform connecting foreign domestic workers and families in Asia. HelperChoice was set up as a social enterprise, and its impact was recognised by many organisations, including the International Labour Organisation. HelperChoice has been acquired by Yoopies in 2019. With this acquisition, the European-based group Yoopies became the global leader outside of the United States in domestic jobs recruitment.

About Yoopies

Yoopies is the leading care platform in Europe disrupting the way we find, hire and manage caregivers for childcare, housekeeping, pet care, senior care and tutoring. The platform aims to give families and homeowners access to affordable and trusted care, becoming a one-stop-shop for booking home care professionals. It offers a comprehensive service, including online payment and automated administrative procedures. Yoopies also leveraged the B2C model to build a B2B solution (YoopiesAtWork) for companies to improve the well-being of its employees and has more than 100 clients (SAP, Société Générale, Publicis, Air France, Capgemini, …).