There are more than 300,000 foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong today. Most of them come through employment agencies, and after their arrival in Hong Kong, they are always being charged of a large sum of money around HK$3000(US$387) out of 4110HKD(US$530) monthly salary for 7 months( which up to HK$20000(US$2580)). While the current law clearly states that agencies can only charge the domestic workers up to 10 percent of first month’s salary, they are charged excessively under the false pretence of training fees and travel expenses. Under this illegal overcharging situation, domestic workers in Hong Kong are living a really hard life.

We interviewed many domestic workers in Hong Kong, and unfortunately, most of them are victims of these overcharging issues. While few of them know that they are illegally overcharged by employment agencies. Agencies can collude with other debt companies to charge an excessive fees while domestic workers would just work hard and repay.

Ineffective enforcement of law by the labor department and legal system failures are two main factors that contributed to the problem of overcharging. However, we also believe that the deep cause is lacking education to foreign domestic helpers on their deserved legal rights, while accompanying with the internal administrative problems and external environmental factors that deteriorated the overcharging problem. 

Therefore, we strongly request:

• A mandatory education session on legal rights for domestic workers as soon as they come to Hong Kong.
• Effective enforcement of law by labour department in Hong Kong.
• Review the job duties, manpower and budget for Employment Agencies Administration under Labour Department of Hong Kong 

As a legal civilised society, we shouldn't bear those legal loopholes anymore. We sincerely hope that HKSAR Labour Department Employment Agencies Administration and Hong Kong Labor and Welfare Bureau can work with other social forces to educate domestic workers with their legal rights and prevent legal loopholes used by employment agencies.

Please sign for our petition and help change the overcharging issues of domestic workers in Hong Kong!