[ Domestic worker falls ill ] Employers must pay medical payments? Authorities outpatient charges? How is sick go away calculated?

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

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

According to Hong Kong law, International home helpers can accumulate 2 days of paid sick go away for every full month of employment inside the first 12 months of employment; thereafter, they’ll accumulate 4 days of paid sick go away for every full month of employment, with a most of 120 days of paid sick go away.

So long as the home helper can present a correct physician’s certificates, the employer can…It is necessary to allow domestic helpers to take paid sick leave. Throughout sick go away, a home helper’s wages are equal to four-fifths of their common each day wage, and should be paid no later than the traditional payday.

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

Can a home helper be dismissed because of sickness?

Cannot. According to Hong Kong law, 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 search compensation from the employer for wrongful dismissal.

Medical repatriation: Assure for overseas home helpers to return dwelling for medical therapy when severely sick

In accordance with the usual employment contract, if a home helper turns into severely sick and is unable to work and must be despatched again to her hometown for therapy, 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 sick.

What must be performed 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 beneath their contract are entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity go away; those that have served lower than 40 weeks are entitled to unpaid maternity go away. Employers can’t dismiss a home helper because of being pregnant, but when the helper deliberately hid her being pregnant on the time of employment, the employer just isn’t obligated to pay maternity go away wages. For any questions concerning a home helper’s being pregnant, you may search help from Path Finders and associated organizations.

How you can deal with a pregnant home helper

1. Home helpers should notify their employers of their being pregnant and procure affirmation from a health care provider, offering a medical certificates with the anticipated due date (EDC). With no legitimate cause, employers can’t dismiss home helpers on the grounds of being pregnant.

2. Employers can communicate with the pregnant domestic helper and understand her thoughts. For instance, whether or not it’s essential to return to the homeland to offer delivery and postpartum plans, and so on.

3. Modify the work content material of pregnant home helpers in keeping with their bodily situation, and keep away from assigning them harmful or bodily demanding jobs, comparable to climbing or lifting heavy objects.

4. Prepare maternity go away for home helpers, which normally begins 2 to 4 weeks earlier than their due date.

5. Some complete home helper insurance coverage cowl the extra bills incurred by employers when hiring abroad home helpers throughout their maternity go away. If crucial, employers can overview the phrases and situations 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 go away and grant the helper sick go away primarily based on a health care provider’s certificates. Throughout the related sick go away interval, the employer might not terminate the employment contract. If the overseas home helper is employed by “Continuous Contracts” and has collected sufficient paid sick go away, Employers must provide foreign domestic helpers with a sick leave allowance equivalent to 4/5 of their average daily wage.

Employers aren’t 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 providers throughout their employment contract interval, having fun with the identical prenatal and postnatal checkups as residents, and also can give delivery in public hospitals; if the home helper presents a sound physician’s certificates, the employer ought to deal with it as sick go away, however Employers aren’t required to pay any bills associated to the home helper’s being pregnant or childbirth. For instance, examination charges or child provides.

Relating to miscarriages of home helpers, until there’s a physician’s certificates or different proof that the miscarriage was brought on by work-related causes, the employer just isn’t 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 overview the coverage phrases and situations.

Are Indonesian and Filipino home helpers reluctant to see medical doctors because of sickness? How ought to employers reply?

Some Filipino and Indonesian home helpers normally solely take over-the-counter medication or wait for his or her our bodies to get well on their very own, and barely search medical therapy on their very own, as a result of in search of medical therapy in hospitals of their hometowns could be very costly.

Nevertheless, in Hong Kong, if a home helper is sick and refuses to hunt medical therapy, the employer can clarify the scenario in Hong Kong to the helper. If they’re afraid of taking medication, 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 remedy. The employer must also patiently talk with the helper to make them perceive that taking medication will assist them get well sooner, moderately than merely blaming them.

Incessantly Requested Questions

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

No. In accordance 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 search compensation for unreasonable dismissal from the employer.

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

Sure, it’s required. In accordance with Hong Kong’s Normal Employment Contract, if a home helper turns into sick 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 sick or injured whereas voluntarily leaving Hong Kong for private causes.

Do home helper insurance coverage insurance policies embody important sickness protection?

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

Can a maid who sees a dentist declare insurance coverage?

International home helpers are sometimes solely eligible to say reimbursement for emergency dental care, comparable to tooth extractions, fillings, or ache aid. Most of those claims have annual reimbursement caps or limits per go to. Nevertheless, if the helper’s dental issues aren’t emergencies, comparable to easy tooth cleansing or whitening, the regulation doesn’t mandate employers to pay for therapy, and insurance coverage is not going to cowl such circumstances.