Unhealthy Domestics

Under the domestic worker employee- employer contract agreement under the Hong Kong Government laws, a domestic worker is entitled to a minimum food allowance of $300 HKD PER MONTH. This seems like an alright deal since they get to eat food in the house with the families right? WRONG! It's not always the case, in the most extreme cases, employers are allowed, LEGALLY to deny any food for a live in caregiver.

Let's look at numbers. In Hong Kong the minimum cost for a caregiver is $3, 580 plus a minimum food allowance of $300 PER MONTH. Now let's look at Canada, it costs on average about $11,000 HKD per month just for a live in caregiver to work ONLY 40 hours a week. This cost is almost three times what it costs in Hong Kong. How can that be???

So are you still wondering what I'm doing here? Well, my friend Danielle told me about this challenge of living off $300-$500 HKD for a whole month just for food, just like all our domestic workers. I immediately text her to say, I want to do it too and here we are! It may be a small step but it's a step nonetheless.

In my initial interviews, I asked random people from all over, "Could you live off $500 for a whole month just on food?" ALL responded with, "Pardon!?" Like I was joking and ALL responded with, "NO!"

So I ask you, why should the domestic workers of Hong Kong?

-Dee

Hong Kong Labour Employment Rights and benefits