Employer is first to be fined for underpaying maid

An employer of an Indonesian domestic helper was yesterday fined $22,000 for underpaying her maid by $1,470 in what the Labour Department said afterwards was the first successful prosecution of an employer for underpayment.

Tuen Mun Magistracy yesterday found the employer guilty of paying her maid $2,200 a month, less than the government-set minimum wage of $3,670.

The spokeswoman added that employers who underpay wages are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $200,000 and imprisonment of one year.

Edwina Santoyo, executive director of Bethune refuge shelter for foreign domestic helpers, said the $22,000 fine was too low and would not be a deterrent.

'All of the Indonesians seeking refuge in our house are all underpaid, receiving between $1,500 to $2,000. The lowest we handled was $200 a month. We have had a few cases of the maids not being paid for up to 28 months,' she said.

The department said successful prosecution would depend on the helpers who are willing to come forward and testify.