It has been in effect for only a few weeks, but a new insurance requirement imposed by the Philippine government on domestic workers hired to work abroad has already hit trouble.
According to the new law, when a helper is hired through a Philippine or Hong Kong agency, the employer or agency has to pay a one-off insurance premium of US$144 to the Philippine government.
The system took effect on November 8 and only covers first-time hires employed through authorised agencies. Current contracts will not be affected.
Yet some employment agencies in the Philippines are making domestic helpers pay the new insurance premium themselves. As a result, some domestic helpers might decide not to work abroad.
'We have heard a few reports that this has been happening and it should not be because it is against the law in the Philippines,' said Holly Allan, manager for Helpers for Domestic Helpers, a St John's Cathedral pastoral outreach catering to the needs of Hong Kong's foreign domestic helper community.
'Agencies in the Philippines are definitely doing this. This insurance has to be paid there before domestic helpers can come to Hong Kong. It's too early to say how many agencies are making domestic helpers pay this fee themselves, but I'd suspect there would be many,' she added.
The new insurance policy may also deter some employers from hiring helpers. They may be unwilling to pay both the new Philippine insurance fee and the Hong Kong equivalent.
