Fc040/2314
CURRENT SIX MONTHS OR FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER THE TERMINATION OF HER CONTRACT, WHICHEVER IS THE SHORTER. IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION COULD ADJUST THIS REQUIREMENT TO SUIT A PARTICULAR CASE.
7. ON CHANGE OF EMPLOYMENT, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVISED THAT CHANGE OF EMPLOYMENT SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN THE FIRST OR SECOND YEAR OF A FOH EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT ONLY IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES (E.G. WHEN THE EMPLOYER IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THE CONTRACT BECAUSE OF EXTERNAL TRANSFER, DEATH OR FOR FINANCIAL REASONS.)
3. ON RENEWAL OF CONTRACTS, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS ADVISED THAT FDHS BE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT NEW AND VALID CONTRACTS BEFORE THEY LEAVE FOR THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IF THEIR FORMER CONTRACTS HAVE FULLY RUN THEIR COURSE. BUT FDHS WHOSE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN BROKEN WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT NEW AND VALID CONTRACTS BEFORE THEY LEAVE FOR THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.
9.
ON WAGE LEVEL, THE WAGE RANGE FOR FDHS HAS BEEN PERIODICALLY ADJUSTED OVER THE YEARS TO ENSURE THAT IT DOES NOT GET OUT OF LINE WITH MANUAL WORKER WAGES GENERALLY. THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVISED THAT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE WAGE FOR NEWLY ARRIVED FDHS SHOULD BE COMPARABLE TO LOCAL FULL-TIME DOMESTIC HELPERS AND SHOULD BE NO LESS THAN HK DOLLARS 2,300 PER MONTH. THIS LOWEST POSSIBLE WAGE WILL BE SUBJECT TO REGULAR REVIEW.
SUCH PRACTICES ARE
10. SOME FDHS WORK AS PART-TIME HELPERS. AGAINST THE VISA CONDITIONS IMPOSED ON FDHS. IT IS ALSO AGAINST THE LAW TO EMPLOY, FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME, FOHS WHO HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO STAY IN HONG KONG TO WORK FOR ANOTHER PERSON. PERSONS WHO ASSIST FOHS TO BREAK THE LAW COMMIT AN OFFENCE WHILE FDHS WHO TAKE SUCH PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT MAY BE REMOVED FOR BEING IN BREACH OF CONDITIONS OF STAY. PERSONS SO REMOVED WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO COME AGAIN TO WORK AS FDHS.
11.
THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO EMPLOYERS WISHING TO FIND DOMESTIC HELPERS, FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME AND EMPLOYEES LOOKING FOR SUCH JOBS.
12. ON CONGREGATION OF FDHS IN PUBLIC PLACES OVER WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED HAVE LOOKED INTO THE MATTER AND CONSIDERED THAT SUCH CONGREGATION DOES NOT CAUSE ANY SERIOUS PROBLEMS. ON THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, WE HAVE SUGGESTED TO THE PHILIPPINES CONSUL-CENERAL THAT THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE STEPS TO PROVIDE RECREATIONAL AND LEISURE AMENITIES FOR FILIPINO DOMESTIC HELPERS.
13. EMPLOYERS OF FDHS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO TAKE OUT INSURANCE POLICIES FOR THE DOMESTIC HELPERS IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT. SOME FOHS HAVE COMPLAINED THAT SOME EMPLOYERS ARE NOT OBSERVING THIS LAW. WE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EMPLOYERS THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE OUT INSURANCE POLICIES FOR THEIR FOHS TO COVER ACCIDENTS ARISING OUT
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