3 things HK employers wish their helpers knew about HK people
My last blog post was about “what Filipino workers wish their employers knew about Filipinos. It’s time to balance the books. This post is about 3 things HK people wish Filipinos knew about us.
HK people value our privacy and personal space.
Domestic workers live with their employers and naturally they hear and see a lot. They hear our fights, see our messes, clean up after us when we’re sick. HK employers expect helpers to respect their personal space and privacy. Helpers should never gossip about their employers, but should be zealous to protect the family’s good name. Workers should not invite guests over to the employer's home without permission. They should also respect their employer’s personal space and belongings. This includes never using their employer’s address to obtain a loan, not entering their rooms when they are there without knocking first, and not “exploring” their personal things. Homes in HK are small compared to many other places, so respecting the space, property, and privacy of others is essential for maintaining a harmonious relationship. On the other hand, the employer should follow the same rules and respect the personal space and privacy of the helper.
2. HK people value Punctuality and Reliability:
Punctuality and reliability are essential qualities that Hong Kong employers expect from their Filipino domestic workers. If you are not a few minutes early, you are already LATE. Employers expect their workers to arrive on time and complete their tasks on schedule. Workers should be reliable and dependable, ensuring that they complete their tasks without constant supervision. And from the worker’s POV, it’s hard to complete work on schedule if your employer is constantly interrupting you and calling you away to do other tasks. Keeping interruptions to a minimum helps workers keep to the schedule.
Employers understand that delays can happen, but workers should communicate promptly if there are any delays or issues. Employers value workers who are responsible and accountable for their work.
3. Hong Kong people want their Filipino workers to know that we have high expectations and when our workers don’t meet our expectations we sometimes get frustrated and angry. When that happens, please know that it does NOT mean we don’t like or appreciate you and your hard work.
Hong Kong is a stressful place to live and work. At one time it was considered the most stressful city in the world. Our education system and culture puts a lot of pressure on HK people to perform well. We, in turn, expect our workers to excel and perform well. Pressure is one of the tools schools and companies use to get high performance from people. It works for us, but we forget that it probably won’t work on Filipinos because you didn’t grow up with it. Please know that we are learning too, and we believe you can perform at a high level. If we put on too much pressure, please remember we want you to succeed; we do NOT want you to quit; we value your contribution to our family.
At Arrow we want our customers to find and keep good helpers. We want our applicants to find and keep a good job. When we make an effort to understand one another’s culture and ways we are increasing the chances that we can stay together for many years to come. Feel free to leave a comment.
