{"id":12305,"date":"2020-10-29T10:00:23","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T02:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/press-centre\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T13:55:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T05:55:52","slug":"helperchoice-poea-accreditation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/","title":{"rendered":"HelperChoice is Now Accredited by POEA, Eradicating Illegal Placement Fees in The Recruitment of Foreign Domestic Workers!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><p><strong>One year after launching its new website, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\">HelperChoice<\/a>, the 1st digital platform to search, interview and hire foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong is now accredited by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). This event marks a big step in HelperChoice&rsquo;s mission to improve foreign domestic workers living and working conditions in Hong Kong through digitalisation.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#Eradicating_recruitment_agencies_illegal_placement_fees\" >Eradicating recruitment agencies&rsquo; illegal placement fees<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#HelperChoices_mission_eradicating_illegal_placement_fees_debt_bondage\" >HelperChoice&rsquo;s mission: eradicating illegal placement fees &amp; debt bondage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#Why_does_the_POEA_accreditation_matter\" >Why does the POEA accreditation matter?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#A_clear_digitalisation_of_the_industry\" >A clear digitalisation of the industry<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#Domestic_helpers_are_now_highly_connected\" >Domestic helpers are now highly connected<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#One_step_further_to_a_fully_digitalised_service_for_domestic_workers_and_employers\" >One step further to a fully digitalised service for domestic workers and employers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#Promoting_domestic_workers_training_and_well-being_with_4_new_partnerships\" >Promoting domestic workers&rsquo; training and well-being with 4 new partnerships<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#Enrich_HK_an_NGO_specialised_in_Financial_Literacy_for_migrant_workers\" >Enrich HK: an NGO specialised in Financial Literacy for migrant workers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#IconMed_a_medical_and_caregiving_specialist_providing_certified_caregiver_training\" >IconMed: a medical and caregiving specialist providing certified caregiver training<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#Insurance_an_insurance_plan_for_all_foreign_domestic_workers_included\" >Insurance: an insurance plan for all foreign domestic workers included<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/helperchoice-poea-accreditation\/#PathFinders_an_NGO_focusing_on_maternity_protection_of_migrant_domestic_workers\" >PathFinders: an NGO focusing on maternity protection of migrant domestic workers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simultaneously, the platform is revamping its offers and launching new exciting partnerships with NGOs, training centres and insurance companies in Hong Kong. Providing full support to employers and foreign domestic workers in the city.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eradicating_recruitment_agencies_illegal_placement_fees\"><\/span><strong>Eradicating recruitment agencies&rsquo; illegal placement fees<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"HelperChoices_mission_eradicating_illegal_placement_fees_debt_bondage\"><\/span>HelperChoice&rsquo;s mission: eradicating illegal placement fees &amp; debt bondage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/\">HelperChoice.com<\/a> was founded in 2012 with the realisation that 70% of domestic workers&rsquo; recruitment agencies in Hong Kong were, and are still, being charged high placement fees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While legally agencies can only charge 10% of the helpers&rsquo; first month salary, most of them actually charge amounts up to US$2,000. Forcing domestic workers to take loans, mostly to loan sharks, with interest rates as high as 60%. A situation that often results in debt bondage, and not being able to walk away from a job when the working conditions are bad.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/\">HelperChoice.com<\/a> is a platform connecting the foreign domestic workers with employers, directly online and with no intermediary. Its aim is to enable migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong to have access to the job market for free, therefore avoiding debt bondage and modern slavery.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Since its creation, the startup has facilitated more than 50,000 recruitments and prevented the levying of more than 60 million euros in illegal fees. The service has also been recognised by the International Labour Organisation for promoting fair recruitment practices:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"highlighted\">\n<p>&#8220;The online recruitment agency HelperChoice launched an innovative awareness programme to influence domestic employer behaviours in favour of fair recruitment services in Hong Kong.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_does_the_POEA_accreditation_matter\"><\/span>Why does the POEA accreditation matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) accreditation is the key to being able to process foreign domestic workers&rsquo; visas. Up until now HelperChoice was a matching platform for domestic workers and employers to connect and conduct interviews. Now, HelperChoice is taking care of the visa process, completely eliminating the need of third party agencies charging illegal placement fees!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_clear_digitalisation_of_the_industry\"><\/span><strong>A clear digitalisation of the industry<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Domestic_helpers_are_now_highly_connected\"><\/span>Domestic helpers are now highly connected<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>There are currently 400,000 foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, 98% of them having a smartphone to communicate with their family and friends back home or in the city. In the past year, HelperChoice has noticed a clear acceleration of the digitalisation, pushed by the political unrest and Covid-19 that forced most domestic workers to limit trips in the city or even, to stay home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>HelperChoice is taking advantage of this easy access to the internet to provide its service, using technology to make domestic workers aware of their rights and preventing social isolation in order to improve their working conditions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Within the past years, HelperChoice has become the leading platform connecting foreign domestic workers and families in Hong Kong and its impact was recognised by many organisations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_step_further_to_a_fully_digitalised_service_for_domestic_workers_and_employers\"><\/span>One step further to a fully digitalised service for domestic workers and employers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>HelperChoice is revamping its offers! The platform will now offer 3 monthly subscriptions throughout the whole employment process and contract.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mahee Leclerc, managing director of HelperChoice in Hong Kong explains:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"highlighted\">\n<p>&#8220;The packages will include the access to the platform to search, interview and hire a helper, as it did before. But we are going further in offering a fully online, more accessible and fairer experience for all our users, domestic workers and employers. Our new offers are improved with exciting features and partnerships such as: the visa process, training certifications and a one year insurance for the worker.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Promoting_domestic_workers_training_and_well-being_with_4_new_partnerships\"><\/span><strong>Promoting domestic workers&rsquo; training and well-being with 4 new partnerships<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Enrich_HK_an_NGO_specialised_in_Financial_Literacy_for_migrant_workers\"><\/span>Enrich HK: an NGO specialised in Financial Literacy for migrant workers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/enrichhk.org\/empower-migrant-domestic-workers-invest-themselves\">Enrich<\/a> is an award-winning Hong Kong charity promoting the economic empowerment of migrant domestic workers through financial and empowerment education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Most workers move abroad in the hope of earning more money than they would in their home country. However, 83% of Hong Kong&#8217;s domestic workers face some level of debt, and only 6% go home feeling they have saved &#8216;enough&#8217; money.<\/p>\n<p>Through their workshops, Enrich equips migrant domestic workers with the tools to save, budget, and plan for greater financial security, for themselves and their families. Now, HelperChoice and Enrich partner to offer domestic workers <a href=\"https:\/\/enrichhk.org\/empower-migrant-domestic-workers-invest-themselves\">Enrich<\/a>&#8216;s full 28-hour Financial and Empowerment education program, which covers personal finance tools, investment, entrepreneurship, confident communication and family financial planning. 96% of Enrich participants track their expenses and 85% save more money.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IconMed_a_medical_and_caregiving_specialist_providing_certified_caregiver_training\"><\/span>IconMed: a medical and caregiving specialist providing certified caregiver training<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>Hong Kong is surprisingly the region with the longest life expectancy in the world, and with the population aging, the demand for caregiving services is increasing. Therefore HelperChoice partnered with <a href=\"https:\/\/en.iconmed.hk\/\">IconMed<\/a>, a medical and caregiving specialist, to provide domestic workers with caregiver training, covering elderly care, as well as child and infant care. The training also includes a First Aid and CPR certificate from the Hong Kong Baptist Hospital.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This skill is highly valuable in the current market and can equip domestic helpers for higher paid jobs in the future!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Insurance_an_insurance_plan_for_all_foreign_domestic_workers_included\"><\/span>Insurance: an insurance plan for all foreign domestic workers included<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>Because health is a priority, especially in the current international context, we have built a partnership to automatically insure all foreign domestic workers finding a job through HelperChoice for 1 year of their employment contract, at no additional cost for the employers!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PathFinders_an_NGO_focusing_on_maternity_protection_of_migrant_domestic_workers\"><\/span>PathFinders: an NGO focusing on maternity protection of migrant domestic workers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>Like all employees in Hong Kong, migrant domestic workers are entitled to maternity protection. Not all employers are aware of their workers&rsquo; eligibility for maternity leave. Many migrant domestic workers are of childbearing age and lack reproductive health knowledge and service access. Relationships and planned pregnancies, being very personal issues, could be inappropriate for employers to bring up with workers. Yet maternity leave and salary have implications on the employers&rsquo; household, and it could especially be challenging for employers with young children and the elderly.<\/p>\n<p>To help both foreign domestic workers and employers navigate maternity protection of workers and come up with win-win solutions together, we are partnering with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pathfinders.org.hk\/en\/\">PathFinders<\/a> to develop educational videos and blog posts.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Press contact:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Mahee LECLERC &ndash; <a href=\"mailto:mahee@helperchoice.com\">mahee@helperchoice.com<\/a> &#8211; +852 9132 3115<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One year after launching its new website, HelperChoice, the 1st digital platform to search, interview and hire foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong is now accredited by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). This event marks a big step in HelperChoice&rsquo;s mission to improve foreign domestic workers living and working conditions in Hong Kong through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":12306,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"HelperChoice is Now Accredited by POEA, Eradicating Illegal Placement Fees in The Recruitment of Foreign Domestic Workers! - HelperChoice Blog","description":"One year after launching its new website, HelperChoice , the 1st digital platform to search, interview and hire foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong is now acc"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/45a23e42-2ccd-45ee-9e50-b7337da06635-helperchoiceisofficiallyaccreditedbypoea2128329.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12305"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12307,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12305\/revisions\/12307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}