[ Domestic worker falls ill ] Employers should pay medical payments? Authorities outpatient charges? How is sick depart calculated?

*The above info is for reference solely as of April 17, 2026. All info is topic to the bulletins of the related insurance coverage corporations.

Is there a system for calculating paid sick depart for overseas home helpers?

In line with Hong Kong regulation, International home helpers can accumulate 2 days of paid sick depart for every full month of employment throughout the first 12 months of employment; thereafter, they will accumulate 4 days of paid sick depart for every full month of employment, with a most of 120 days of paid sick depart.

So long as the home helper can present a correct physician’s certificates, the employer can…It’s essential to permit home helpers to take paid sick depart. Throughout sick depart, a home helper’s wages are equal to four-fifths of their common every day wage, and have to be paid no later than the traditional payday.

What must you do in case your home helper contracts a critical sickness?

Can a home helper be dismissed attributable to sickness?

Cannot. In line with Hong Kong regulation, it’s unlawful for an employer to dismiss a home helper on the grounds of sickness. As soon as convicted, the employer could also be fined as much as $100,000. The home helper may additionally search compensation from the employer for wrongful dismissal.

Medical repatriation: Assure for overseas home helpers to return house for medical remedy when severely in poor health

In line with the usual employment contract, if a home helper turns into severely in poor health and is unable to work and must be despatched again to her hometown for remedy, the employer should bear her airfare and transportation prices. Most home helper insurance coverage insurance policies cowl the price of sending a home helper again to her nation of origin when she is severely in poor health.

What must be executed if a home helper turns into pregnant or miscarries?

Below Hong Kong regulation, home helpers who’ve served their employers for 40 weeks or extra below their contract are entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity depart; those that have served lower than 40 weeks are entitled to unpaid maternity depart. Employers can’t dismiss a home helper attributable to being pregnant, but when the helper deliberately hid her being pregnant on the time of employment, the employer shouldn’t be obligated to pay maternity depart wages. For any questions relating to a home helper’s being pregnant, you’ll be able to search help from Path Finders and associated organizations.

Easy methods to deal with a pregnant home helper

1. Home helpers should notify their employers of their being pregnant and acquire affirmation from a physician, offering a medical certificates with the anticipated due date (EDC). With out a legitimate purpose, employers can’t dismiss home helpers on the grounds of being pregnant.

2. Employers can communicate with the pregnant home helper and perceive her ideas. For instance, whether or not it’s essential to return to the place of birth to provide delivery and postpartum plans, and so on.

3. Alter the work content material of pregnant home helpers based on their bodily situation, and keep away from assigning them harmful or bodily demanding jobs, corresponding to climbing or lifting heavy objects.

4. Organize maternity depart for home helpers, which often begins 2 to 4 weeks earlier than their due date.

5. Some complete home helper insurance policy cowl the extra bills incurred by employers when hiring abroad home helpers throughout their maternity depart. If essential, employers can evaluate the phrases and circumstances of the bought insurance coverage plan to make a declare.

Strategies for dealing with miscarriages of home helpers

If a home helper suffers a miscarriage throughout being pregnant, the employer ought to deal with it as sick depart and grant the helper sick depart based mostly on a physician’s certificates. In the course of the related sick depart interval, the employer might not terminate the employment contract. If the overseas home helper is employed by “Steady Contracts” and has gathered sufficient paid sick depart, Employers should present overseas home helpers with a sick depart allowance equal to 4/5 of their common every day wage.

Employers will not be required to pay for bills associated to the home helper’s being pregnant.

International home helpers are entitled to entry Hong Kong’s public medical companies throughout their employment contract interval, having fun with the identical prenatal and postnatal checkups as residents, and may give delivery in public hospitals; if the home helper presents a sound physician’s certificates, the employer ought to deal with it as sick depart, however Employers will not be required to pay any bills associated to the home helper’s being pregnant or childbirth. For instance, examination charges or child provides.

Concerning miscarriages of home helpers, until there’s a physician’s certificates or different proof that the miscarriage was attributable to work-related causes, the employer shouldn’t be required to bear the associated bills. Most complete home helper insurance coverage insurance policies don’t cowl all issues associated to the home helper’s being pregnant, miscarriage, abortion, and childbirth. Employers must fastidiously evaluate the coverage phrases and circumstances.

Are Indonesian and Filipino home helpers reluctant to see docs attributable to sickness? How ought to employers reply?

Some Filipino and Indonesian home helpers often solely take over-the-counter drugs or wait for his or her our bodies to get better on their very own, and infrequently search medical remedy on their very own, as a result of in search of medical remedy in hospitals of their hometowns could be very costly.

Nevertheless, in Hong Kong, if a home helper is sick and refuses to hunt medical remedy, the employer can clarify the scenario in Hong Kong to the helper. If they’re afraid of taking drugs, the employer and the helper can go to a clinic or hospital collectively in order that the physician can clarify the sickness and the need of taking the treatment. The employer also needs to patiently talk with the helper to make them perceive that taking drugs will assist them get better sooner, quite than merely blaming them.

Continuously Requested Questions

Can an employer dismiss a home helper who’s on sick depart or pregnant?

No. In line with Hong Kong regulation, apart from home helpers who’re instantly dismissed for critical misconduct, it’s unlawful for an employer to dismiss a home helper on the grounds of sickness or being pregnant. Upon conviction, the employer could also be fined as much as HK$100,000, and the home helper may additionally search compensation for unreasonable dismissal from the employer.

If a home helper will get sick or injured throughout her depart, is the employer required to pay for her medical bills?

Sure, it’s required. In line with Hong Kong’s Customary Employment Contract, if a home helper turns into in poor health or injured throughout employment, no matter whether or not it’s work-related, the employer is obligated to offer free medical care, together with session charges, hospitalization charges, and emergency dental care. This doesn’t apply if the home helper turns into in poor health or injured whereas voluntarily leaving Hong Kong for private causes.

Do home helper insurance coverage insurance policies embrace vital sickness protection?

Most home helper insurance coverage insurance policies don’t cowl vital sickness, solely offering fundamental hospitalization and outpatient medical protection. If employers want to cowl critical sicknesses corresponding to most cancers or coronary heart illness for his or her home helpers, they will add non-compulsory upgrades corresponding to “vital sickness protection” or select a higher-level insurance coverage plan based mostly on the protection particulars.

Can a maid who sees a dentist declare insurance coverage?

International home helpers are usually solely eligible to say reimbursement for emergency dental care, corresponding to tooth extractions, fillings, or ache reduction. Most of those claims have annual reimbursement caps or limits per go to. Nevertheless, if the helper’s dental issues will not be emergencies, corresponding to easy enamel cleansing or whitening, the regulation doesn’t mandate employers to pay for remedy, and insurance coverage won’t cowl such instances.