Categories: Safety & HealthSalary & Finances

Domestic Helper Medical Expenses in Hong Kong: What Every Employer Needs to Know

(Updated on 12 February 2026)

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A domestic worker’s health is an essential part of a functional home, yet it is often an overlooked aspect of the employment relationship. In Hong Kong, you are legally obliged to shoulder your domestic helper medical expenses and provide paid sick leave when necessary.

Understanding these obligations not only keeps you compliant with the Hong Kong Labour Department but also ensures your household remains safe and productive.

Should you pay for your helper’s medical expenses?

The short answer is Yes. According to the Labour Department, an employer must provide free medical treatment to a domestic helper regardless of whether the sickness or injury is work-related.

What is Covered?

As the employer, you are responsible for the costs of:

Medical Consultations: Visits to a registered medical practitioner.
Hospitalization: Inpatient care and surgical fees.
Emergency Dental Treatment: Urgent care for pain or infection.

This obligation applies even if the injury happens outside of working hours—for example, if your helper is bitten by a dog while on her rest day. This is why we strongly recommend a comprehensive domestic helper insurance policy that includes full medical and hospitalization coverage.

Sick leaves and sickness allowance

A domestic helper is entitled to a progressive accumulation of paid sick leave:

First Year: 2 paid sick leave days for every month of service.
Second Year Onwards: 4 paid sick leave days for every month of service.

Sickness Allowance Rules

You are required to pay a sickness allowance only if:

The sick leave lasts for 4 or more consecutive days.
The helper provides a valid medical certificate.
The helper has accumulated enough paid sick days.

The rate of sickness allowance is four-fifths (80%) of the helper’s average daily wage. While she is recovering in your home, it is important to respect her rest and not assign chores.

When do you need to provide free treatment to your helper?

The minimum requirement of the Hong Kong government is for employers to take out the Employee Compensation Insurance, and that only compensates work injuries.

Since the job duties of domestic workers should only be confined to domestic duties, it is not clear whether hiking with the family on a work day can be considered as a domestic duty, and whether any injuries suffered during the hike can be considered as work injuries.

However, according to the Labour Department, you should still provide free treatment to your helper regardless of whether the injury is attributed to her employment as long as she is in Hong Kong, so it can mean that you would still need to provide free treatment to her, but whether or not the basic insurance covers that is unclear.

For clarification, you should contact the Labour Department and your insurance company.

Common illnesses your helper can have

Although employers usually avoid hiring helpers who are too old and maybe unfit to work, some illnesses can happen to young and strong helpers whom you would not expect to fall sick.

Common long-term illness can include:

Stroke. Stroke happens when arteries taking blood from the heart to the brain are blocked. Helpers who like taking in food high in cholesterol or whose family history has the tendency would be more susceptible to the illness. Your helper would be bedridden for a long time and might be unfit to work afterwards. As the employer, you can pay for a domestic helper insurance plan that has a fuller coverage that would give you assurance when your helper is hospitalised. You can also take your helper to medical check-up regularly.

Breast cancer. You can ask your helper to regularly self-examine whether she can feel lumps in her breasts, though this is not reliable. Again, get an insurance plan with fuller coverage to protect you and your helper when accidents happen, and make sure to send her to female check-up on a regular basis.

Other common injuries and illnesses for domestic workers in Hong Kong are:

Dog Bites. Some employers just ask the helper to clean the wound and put a bandage over it when that happens, lest their dog will be taken away as a consequence or that the employer will be punished. We do not advise employers to the same. If the bite is serious, if you or your helper are not first-aiders or medical professionals, the wound will not be absolutely clean. The dog might also carry other diseases. To prevent the wound from worsening, you need to bring the helper to a hospital for treatment.

Dental problems. Some helpers are at the age of growing wisdom teeth when they come to Hong Kong. In a lot of cases, their gums get infected and some people might even need to undergo small surgeries to remove their wisdom teeth. A lot of domestic helper insurance cover dental expenses.

Generally, if it is not an emergency, you are not obliged by the law to pay for your helpers’ medical expenses (even if it would be generous). In case the insurance does not cover those expenses, your helper could go back to her home country on vacation to benefit from cheaper rates.

A Foundation of Trust

Navigating domestic helper medical expenses is a vital responsibility that ensures the well-being of everyone under your roof. By fulfilling your legal obligations and providing comprehensive insurance, you create a home environment where your helper feels valued and secure. This peace of mind allows them to focus on their duties, especially when caring for vulnerable family members like children or the elderly. A healthy helper is the backbone of a happy home, and investing in their wellness is an investment in the longevity of your partnership.