Deep Dive delves into hot issues in Hong Kong and mainland China. Our easy-to-read articles provide context to grasp what’s happening, while our questions help you craft informed responses. Check sample answers at the end of the page.
News: The plight of pregnant domestic workers in Hong Kong
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Many of the city’s domestic helpers fear losing their jobs if they become pregnant
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Advocacy groups have called for improved public education and support services to protect the rights of the city’s 368,000 domestic workers
At five months pregnant, domestic helper Daisy* was kicked out of her Hong Kong employer’s home one night.
The 32-year-old called home in the Philippines, crying over what had happened.
“I felt so scared as I was pregnant and I had no family or friends here I could turn to,” Daisy recalled.
She arrived in Hong Kong in 2023 to work for a couple with a seven-year-old son, but fell pregnant last December after spending a holiday at home.
Things took a turn for the worse in May when the couple tried to force Daisy to terminate her contract. After Daisy refused to quit, her employer told her to leave their home immediately, she said.
In Hong Kong, it is illegal for an employer to dismiss an employee because she is pregnant. But advocates say it is not easy for helpers to find legal help, and the process can drag on for months.
Daisy, who received help from an NGO, filed claims with labour authorities for her unpaid wages and maternity leave payments from her employer. The claims were settled after about two months.
Daisy’s plight was not unusual, according to advocates and domestic workers. With the live-in rule, some pregnant helpers faced job loss, separation from their babies or resorted to illegal abortions, they said.
The issue was thrust into the public spotlight in August when police arrested 11 helpers for allegedly selling illegal abortion pills or performing abortions unlawfully.
Unions and groups called for better public education and support services to protect the rights of the city’s about 368,000 domestic workers, primarily women from the Philippines and Indonesia.
Stephanie Kwok Chi-ying is a senior case worker at PathFinders. The NGO offers services to pregnant migrant workers and their children in Hong Kong. As per Kwok, the biggest challenge is that many helpers fear being fired.
Kwok reported that 42 per cent of the pregnant helpers supported by her organisation last year lost their jobs.
A domestic helper in Hong Kong is eligible for 14 consecutive weeks of paid maternity leave. They can access the city’s public healthcare, receive free prenatal and postnatal check-ups and have their baby delivered in a public hospital at affordable fees. Employers do not need to cover their helpers’ pregnancy-related expenses.
*Name changed at interviewee’s request.
Staff writers
Question prompts
1. Why was Daisy kicked out of her employer’s home?
(1) Daisy was selling illegal abortion pills.
(2) She refused to terminate her employment contract.
(3) Daisy’s employer believed that her pregnancy would affect her work.
(4) She hid her pregnancy from her employer.
A. (1), (2) only
B. (2), (3) only
C. (2), (4) only
D. all of the above
2. List TWO challenges that pregnant domestic workers face in Hong Kong.
3. Should Daisy have been fired for her pregnancy? Explain using the news, glossary and your own knowledge.
Graphic
Question prompts
1. What is the live-in rule, and how does it affect domestic workers? Use the glossary and graphic to explain.
2. In what ways might the live-in rule have influenced some domestic workers to terminate their pregnancies? Why might some of these workers have resorted to illegal abortions? Explain using the news, glossary and graphic.
Glossary
live-in rule: a policy that requires migrant domestic workers to reside in their employers’ homes to obtain a work visa. Implemented in 2003, this policy aimed to protect workers and prevent them from seeking part-time employment elsewhere.
illegal abortions: any termination of pregnancy that is not performed by qualified medical practitioners or carried out in a designated clinic or hospital is subject to legal penalties under the Offences Against the Person Ordinance of Hong Kong. Terminations are permitted only within 24 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases where it is absolutely necessary to save the mother’s life.
paid maternity leave: a period during which a woman is entitled to receive payment while she is absent from work before and after giving birth. According to the Hong Kong Labour Department, employers must provide employees with 14 weeks of paid maternity leave if they have been employed for at least 40 consecutive weeks. Workers who have been employed for fewer weeks are still permitted to take unpaid maternity leave.
prenatal and postnatal check-ups: medical care provided before and after childbirth to help ensure the health of the mother and baby. These services are free for Hong Kong identity card holders but are typically only available on weekdays. This poses a challenge for many domestic workers, who usually have Sundays off.
Sample answers
News
1. B
2. They may have nowhere for their newborn child to stay because of the live-in rule / The lack of support for these workers can lead to unsafe and illegal abortions. / Many of them also fear losing their jobs because of their pregnancies. (any two)
3. Daisy should not be fired due to her pregnancy. Firstly, this would be against Hong Kong law. Being pregnant does not hinder her ability to perform her job, nor does it justify losing her livelihood. Like any other employee in Hong Kong, she has the right to maternity leave and fair treatment. Terminating her employment because of her pregnancy is discriminatory and unjust. Instead, her employer should support her by allowing her to take maternity leave as mandated by law.(accept all reasonable answers)
Graphic
1. The live-in rule requires a domestic worker to stay in the employer’s home. But many of the city’s domestic helpers rarely have privacy at home. According to the illustration, one worker had to be on duty always. She was given a thin mattress to sleep on the floor next to the elderly occupant. One even sleeps on the floor in a storage room with a CCTV camera watching on the spot.
2. If domestic workers must live with their employers, it is hard for them to manage a pregnancy and take care of a newborn because many of them already have no privacy. In addition, they also might not know what healthcare services are available to them.
