I literally just got back from a business dinner where one of the party was expousing his wife's (singaporean) view about why they don't allow their helpers to have ANY days' off. It was all about them getting into trouble. They were not being nasty at all, they were PROTECTING their helpers. What's wrong with that? She apparently finds it impossible to see what might be wrong with it - I got the impression this woman SERIOUSLY thinks she's doing the right thing by her helpers. THAT's what's scary, imho. At least if they are going to abuse them; at least admit it!
I don't have any direct experience with maids in Taiwan, but I have relatives there who wanted to hire a maid to take care of their mother. They needed to have support from local doctors for the government to allow it. It was denied because they said her health was not at that stage. she was over 80 but not with extraordinary problems yet.
Somehow that does not sound quite the same as what I have seen in Hong Kong. I am not sure both countries have similar policies. I used to work in Saudia Arabia. It was bad there, no question. From what I can see it is bad here as well. But then my experience is limited. No Kids, pets, or car to wash, and certainly no room for another person in the house.
But at the end of the day, no one ask the most important question, does the HK gov give a sh*t what any of us expat think about maid treatment? Nope, they couldn't care less.
With all due respect, I think Middle Eastern countries that hire FDHs (i.e. Saudi Arabia, Dubai) treat them even worse than HK. There is no outcry in those countries over maid abuse. No rights whatsoever, unlike here in HK, where maids at least get a statutory min. wage. In HK, there are cases where the employer has been caught abusing maids and charged and sentenced to jail. I don't think that has ever happen in Saudi Arabia or Dubai (I could be wrong of course).
The point is, as bad as HK is, it is not as bad as Saudi Arabia or Dubai...
The point is we don't live in Saudi Arabia. There is always 'somewhere else' that is worse on any given topic.
The point is, as bad as HK is, it is not as bad as Saudi Arabia or Dubai...
Doesn't and shouldn't prevent you from speaking out about issues on your own doorstep.
Predictably enough, your head is stuck in your ass. Isolated cases doesn't explain much.Original Post Deleted
Because while its good that there were some example of prosecutions, is that the exception rather than the rule? Why haven't we heard more about this? Seems like HK, even with its rather lax enforcement of maid rights, have stronger record of prosecution against abusive maid employers.