Hong Kong’s Legislative Council devoted part of its sitting on 14 October to a lively debate on how the city treats the nearly 340,000 foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) who underpin household and elder-care services. Replying to an oral question, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun rejected calls for a mandatory probation period in the Standard Employment Contract, but confirmed that the Immigration Department will maintain its “rigorous” case-by-case assessment of helper employment-visa applications. Sun argued that existing rules already let employers terminate a contract with one month’s notice—or immediately, in cases of serious misconduct—while still obliging employers to pay for the helper’s trip home. He said government sees no need to relax the long-standing return-passage requirement, which, in official eyes, prevents destitute helpers from becoming stranded in Hong Kong. On agency fees, the Labour Department updated its Code of Practice in 2024 to force employment agencies to spell out any refund or replacement policy if a contract ends early. That change, Sun said, gives employers price transparency without imposing fee caps that might distort the market. Human-rights groups welcomed the renewed emphasis on anti-discrimination safeguards: the Equal Opportunities Commission’s Code of Practice on Employment will remain the reference point for resolving disputes when an FDH falls ill or is pregnant. However, campaigners criticised the government’s refusal to review airfare cost-sharing or require agencies to limit re-hiring fees, warning that Hong Kong could lose competitiveness to Singapore if costs continue to rise. For multinational families and corporate expatriates who rely on live-in help, the take-away is that Hong Kong’s basic visa structure for FDHs is unchanged, but compliance expectations—particularly around contract termination and anti-discrimination—are tightening. Employers should review their internal policies, ensure documentary trails for any dismissal, and budget for full repatriation costs should a contract end abruptly.
