Resources
Practical, experience-led advice for everyday life with a domestic helper in Hong Kong.
Yes, the headlines are frightening, and your worry is reasonable. It is also out of proportion: Hong Kong relies on roughly 350,000 foreign domestic helpers (Government figures, 2026), the overwhelming majority of whom quietly keep families and elderly parents safe every day. Real peace of mind comes from proportion first, then the habits of a good working relationship.
Read articleReward a helper who is doing well with discretionary gestures, not a permanent raise: a bonus for a good year, festival money, a paid extra day off, or covering a specific expense. The legal minimum wage is HK$5,220 a month, and paying above it does not buy better work. Generosity lands best when it is flexible, specific and clearly tied to what she did.
Read articleFor contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026, the Minimum Allowable Wage is HK$5,220 a month, and paying that standard rate is normal, lawful and complete, with food and accommodation on top. Higher pay does not reliably buy better work. What keeps a great helper is the match, clear expectations and good treatment, with a well-timed bonus doing more than a permanently higher base.
Read articleWhether your helper arrives as an experienced cook or not, your household’s standards start from scratch: she cannot know on day one how your family likes its soup, rice, or garlic. Spend the first week teaching her your dishes properly, write down a rotating weekly menu with shopping lists, and leave room for her own cooking. A little teaching at the start pays off at every dinner.
Read articleYour helper can open her own Hong Kong bank account once she has her Hong Kong Identity Card, a local residential and mailing address, and is eighteen or over. Some banks now do the whole thing in an app, which is usually the easier route; others want a branch visit. Sort it out in the first fortnight and paying her stops being a monthly errand.
Read articleHousehold standards are learned, not guessed. The fastest way to get a task done your way is to show it once, do it together the next time, then leave her to it and check the result rather than the process. Write the fiddly bits down, add a photo where words fail, and when something comes back wrong, explain it rather than sigh.
Read articleMost Hong Kong families stick with shared meals, mainly because it's simpler than budgeting, cooking twice, and tracking a separate allowance. Switching to a cash allowance isn't wrong, but it works best paired with a clear amount, a monthly check-in, and clarity about what it's meant to cover. There's also a government-set minimum if you go the allowance route, so it's worth checking before you agree on a number.
Read articleA helper who says she is under black magic is usually in distress, and the belief is the language she has for it. Take it seriously without arguing: settle the children's care today, talk to her privately, get her to a doctor. Some of it resolves. Where it does not, and you no longer trust her with your children, ending the placement gently is the kind answer.
Read articleSay something early, and say it plainly: the work matters to you, and the standard has slipped. Most complacency is fixable once it is named, and resentment grows fastest in silence. Be specific about what better looks like, then give it a few weeks and look again. If it still does not improve and you decide the friction is not worth it, you can give proper notice and end the contract cleanly.
Read articleOnly employees' compensation insurance is legally required when you employ a domestic helper in Hong Kong; everything beyond that is optional cover you choose. In our experience, most employers add comprehensive medical insurance anyway, because day-to-day clinic bills are the employer's responsibility. Read what the policy covers and ask the insurer directly how claims are processed before you buy.
Read articleStay in the room for the first days rather than handing over and leaving — let your child watch you be relaxed with the helper before she takes anything on alone. Keep meals, baths and bedtime exactly as they were, hand over one routine at a time, and expect a bumpy fortnight. A longer interview and real reference checks beforehand matter more than anything you do after she arrives.
Read articleHygiene standards are learned, not assumed, and the stakes rise with a newborn, young children, an elderly parent or daily cooking. Here is how to set clear, kind hygiene routines with your helper: what to provide, what to say, and the specific practices that matter most in each caring scenario.
Read articleSafety first — call 999 if anyone is hurt or in danger, and if it's a criminal matter that's the right number whatever the hour. Then slow down: write down what happened while it's fresh. You can stand her down from duties tonight, but don't dismiss her on the spot and don't move her out. Our office is 10am–7pm; call us before you take any step that changes her employment.
Read article