How to Keep a good helper: be generous with food, especially rice
When I arrived in Hong Kong in 1988 one of the first greetings I learned was ¨Sik faan mei a?” 你食咗飯未呀. It sounded so strange to my Western ears, because I grew up in a place where there was (in my lifetime) was always plenty to eat. I didn’t know much about the history of China or the famines that sometimes ravaged the land. When I understood the context I began to appreciate what a warm caring greeting this was. If a friend asked me “Sik faan mei?” and I said “not yet” - they would invite me to eat! In the West people don’t show this kind of practical care because our “How are you?” is almost always answered with “I’m fine, thanks”.
Filipinos like Chinese are also very concerned about whether someone has eaten yet. No matter how poor they are they will do everything they can to make sure you eat a lot of yummy food. And unlike HK people, Filipinos eat a LOT of rice. They eat rice with every meal. Their fast food shops serve whatever (chicken, burger, etc.) with a side of rice. Their engines run on rice.
One of the main reasons some helpers quit their jobs is because they are hungry for rice. They feel “hungry”! They may be getting enough calories, but they feel hungry because they are not eating rice. They can easily eat rice for every meal with a smattering of meat and veggies.
TIP # 1: How to keep your helper: Buy them a rice cooker (or give them the keys to your rice cooker) and an 8 kg sack of rice every month to supplement their diet.
This is a very small investment to help protect the larger investment you made with agency fees, air tickets, quarantine rooms, etc.
At Arrow our goal is to Help You Find and Keep a Good Helper. If you would like to know more drop us a note or leave us a comment.
Helpers can work and go out during 4 day home confinement
According to the HK Standard the government has decided that helpers can work and even go out during the 4 day home confinement period that follows the 3 day hotel quarantine. Read all about it!
At Arrow we are encouraging our customers to focus on the helpers who are in our “READY” category. These ladies have done all their documentation and have passed a fit to work medical. They are ready to deploy as soon as they get their HK visa, and OEC from the Philippines.
There has been some delay in processing OWWA briefings for ladies in the Philippines, but if the worker is ex Hong Kong, they do NOT have to attend OWWA, which cuts around 2 weeks off the Philippines processing time.
Whatever!!
Whatever!
I’m American. I like the word “whatever”, especially when used sarcastically and meaning “OK, do what you want, you’re going to do that anyway” - whatever!
I like Paul’s use of the word “whatever” even more. He says
Finally, brothers (and sisters) , whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Paul, the apostle)
Think about WHATEVER is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellence, worthy of praise, etc. etc. etc. WHATEVER can include ANYTHING… Think about good and positive things. I added https://www.thebrighterside.news/ to my morning news feed, and it brings me the latest in scientific breakthroughs, etc. Left on my own I will focus on the latest political scandal, war, ecological disaster, etc. I appreciate the reminder that there is excellence, beauty, justice, and wonder in the world. WHATEVER ins not just about big things, it’s about anything commendable. WHATEVER is widely inclusive:
a tasty meal
a clean home
a good effort on homework
the latest scientific breakthrough
a gorgeous sunset
The people around you, including your helpers, are wonder-FULL people. Find something commendable or praiseworthy, notice excellence, kindness, etc. If you remember, let them know that you noticed, but even if you forget to mention it, noticing that moment of beauty will make your day better.
And if you don’t like my idea, well - WHATEVER. :-)
CNY is coming! Is your helper ready?
Chinese New Year is less than 1 month away. It’s time to remind your helper re what to expect. The Philippines doesn’t not celebrate the lunar new year, so if your helper is a first timer to HK, don’t expect her to know what to do. Teach her! Here are some talking points:
Cleaning: Explain to her that the CNY tradition is clean the house thoroughly before the arrival of the CNY. Thank her for the extra effort in cleaning.
Remind of her of these DOs and DON’Ts
DO’s
Keep a smiling face from day to night
Clasp your hands, greet every one you see, no matter baby or elder with blessing words, e.g.
-"Sun Nin Fai Lok"-Cantonese / "Xin Nian Kuai Le"-Mandarin(Happy New Year)
-"Gung Hay Fat Choy"-Cantonese / "Gong Xi Fa Cai"- Mandarin(Hope you are wealthy)Inform your helper what to say when serving guests: e.g. a. serve tea/soft drinks, say,"Ching Yam Cha"-Cantonese or "Xing Ke Cha"-Mandarin (please drink tea). serve snack box with 2 hands.
Teach them what to cook to serve your guests before any guest come.
Remind her to wear Red/ colourful clothes
Before you take her to other people's homes, tell her what you expect her to do? e.g. take care of baby/toddler/ friend's kid , or help in the kitchen? prepare food and tidy up?
Whenever any person give her a red pocket, she must receive it with two hands, then clasp the hands and say "thank you" or "Dor Che"-Cantonese / "Xièxiè"-Mandarin or or "Gung Hay Fat Choy"-Cantonese / "Gong Xi Fa Cai"- Mandarin. (But never open it in front of people, it is impolite)
DON'Ts
Wear black upper clothes,
Wash hair, take shower in the morning
Break or drop anything, e.g. any dishes, glasses, food
Cry
Sweep or mop the floor
Every family's culture is different and unique. Please teach her the special culture and rule in your family during the Lunar Chinese New Year. Happy New Year!
Government expands Group A countries to include Singapore and Iceland
The Government announced today that Iceland and Singapore will be listed as Group A specified places from December 6 and non-Hong Kong residents who have stayed there within 21 days will not be allowed to enter the city.
The Government made the decision after Omicron cases were detected in these countries.
Hong Kong residents who have stayed in these two countries within 21 days can only board a flight for Hong Kong if they have been fully vaccinated and hold a recognised jab record.
They must also undergo compulsory quarantine in a designated quarantine hotel for 21 days upon arrival, with six tests to be conducted during quarantine, followed by compulsory testing in a community testing centre on the 26th day of arrival at Hong Kong.
The Government will gazette the updated specifications under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances & Travellers) Regulation to effect the measures.
How will the opeining of Penny Bay effect the domestic helper hiring process?
Penny Bay Quarantine Center
This pandemic has made hiring a helper a nightmare - no flights, expensive quarantine, lockdowns, 😠😡🤬
Finally the governments of Hong Kong and the Philippines are starting to get their act together to make the process now reliable and affordable. With the opening of the Penny Bay Quarantine center they can accommodate another 800 helpers at a time. If the cost is $500 a night then it will affordable for most families. The two big questions are: how much will it cost? how long will it take?
How much will it cost?
If you hire through Arrow here is the cost breakdown:
$ 9800 processing
$ 10,500 quarantine
$ 2500 air ticket (see price table below)
$ 1000 PCR test
$ 23800 total
It's not great but it's manageable. And you know that Arrow will do our best to help you resolve issues so that your helper will finish her contract.
How long will it take?
8 weeks: Visa application
2 weeks: Verifcation of contract at Consulate
1 weeks: Overseas Employment Certificate this happens concurrently with verification of contract in HK
A Philippines based helper is ready to come to Hong Kong in 10 weeks time. The BIG ISSUE IS THE QUARANTINE HOTEL AND FLIGHT. As quarantine beds become more available helpers can arrive in a reasonable period of time. If a quarantine spot is available for your helper then the helper should be in your home working after 13-15 weeks. If no quarantine spot is available then the time will certainly take longer. Much depends on the governments ability to execute their plan in an effective way.
Your helper is arriving soon. Are you ready?
Here is a checklist to help you prepare:
Sleeping arrangements are ready
Warm blanket for the winter
Adequate ventilation
Fan for the summer
Storage for her things
Written work schedule:
Most helpers have never used the calendar app on their phones except to look up a date. Give them the work schedule ahead of time and ask them to enter it into their phone calendar and set alarms/reminders as needed. This is an important skill.
Emergency Protocol
Write down emergency contacts on a card for them to keep in their bag. Helper phones have poor battery life so a card in their purse is a safeguard.
Payday, etc.
Discuss when the payday will be and ask for her input. Sometimes helpers have bills to pay in the Philippines and if they are late they incur high interest and penalties. Adjusting their payday to accommodate these bills can help them stay out of financial trouble.
When she arrives give her a small advance ($300 -$500) on her salary and have her sign for it. This will allow her to have money for her day off and personal necessities for the first 30 days in Hong Kong.
Rest days and holidays
During the Covid pandemic many helpers are spending their day off in their employers home. Discuss the arrangements with her. Please understand that she also needs some time away from your family, so allow time for her to walk in a nearby park or shopping mall. We all need mental health breaks.
We have briefed the helper that statutory holidays are without pay for the first 3 months. Most helpers would like to work on the holidays during the 1st 3 months to avoid wage loss, but not all.
House rules
What are your big "must" an "must not do" behaviors. Don't assume they know, tell them. "Common sense" is only common to those who grow up in the culture. Hong Kong common sense is different from Filipino common sense. Don't assume they know - tell them clearly. Even God limited himself to 10 commandments, so don't have too many.
Food
When will she eat her meals? Where?
Ask her what food she likes (hint: lots of rice). Helpers send me pictures of their meals with rice, a few veggies, and chicken feet or chicken heads. That is offensive to them. They work hard so make sure they are fed well.
If you give a food allowance you need to provide a place for her to store her food and allow her to cook her food in the kitchen.
Children
What is your parenting style?
What are your goals for the kids?
Physical punishment and shouting at kids is rarely done in the Philippines. Your helper will find it shocking if this is part of your parenting style.
Most of our customers want their helpers to be actively engaged with their children. We tell helpers this, but you may need to reinforce this message if she focuses too much on housework and not enough on the kids.
We hope that you and your helper will get off to a brilliant start, but it normally takes 2-3 months for the helpers to get up to speed, so be patient. You waited a long time for her to arrive, now give her time to learn her job well.
If you have any questions call us at 2151-1125 or what'sapp Allan at 6191-0376.
Travel bubble suspended
CNBC: Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble delayed amid rise in Hong Kong's coronavirus cases. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/21/singapore-hong-kong-travel-bubble-continues-as-hong-kong-covid-cases-rise.html
First Arrival from Singapore
Our first Filipino helper to come directly from Singapore to Hong Kong arrived today. She did not have any difficulties and is now at the Covid-19 testing area. We also had 5 applicants from the Philippines arrive today, so deployments are getting back to normal.
Eat breakfast BEFORE drinking Coffee
A new study shows that people who do not get a good night’s sleep SHOULD EAT BREAKFAST BEFORE drinking coffee. That applies to almost everyone in Hong Kong, but especially to domestic helpers. Drinking coffee before eating breakfast messes up your blood sugar, and could have long term bad effects on your health. So eat breakfast first, then enjoy your coffee.
https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/science-reveals-the-perfect-time-to-drink-coffee-for-a-healthy-metabolism
Helpers in Agency Dorms will be tested for COVID-19
https://www.arrowes.hk/arrowbios/alodia-abarca-contract-finisher-aug-2020
Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila (say that 5X fast)
The Metro Manila area is now under what is known as Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine. Public transportation is suspended with only company and private vehicles permitted AND they are carefully restricted.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
It means it is difficult for helpers to get to our agency partners to sign contracts and do medicals.
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
There is an old saying “If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain”. Our agency partners are using motorcycle couriers to take contracts to applicants in the Metro Manila area. They wait while they are signed, and then collect their documents such as passports etc and bring them back to the agency office. Copies of other docs are sent to them via what’sapp. Medicals will be scheduled in advance so helpers can arrange transportation and apply for the travel pass needed to cross the city during the MECQ.
HOW WILL IT HELP?
By focusing our recruiting on Metro Manila, we hope we can minimize delays in arriving in Hong Kong. After arrival helpers will still undergo 14 days quarantine and 2 Covid tests.
BOTTOM LINE
If you need a helper asap, check the bottom of the bios to see where the applicant lives. We have clearly marked the Metro Manila ladies. They should deploy significantly faster than those in the provinces.
Too Tired to Care
My staff passed me the note “Sir, please contact this helper. She gave her 30 days notice and the employer wants to know what they can do.” So I called - no answer; then I tried to find her on What’sapp - no account. Finally I sent her a text message. At 1 a.m. I received her reply “Sorry for the late answer Sir. I’m just off work, I work 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.”
I didn’t need to ask “Why are you resigning?” It’s obvious. Don’t you agree. Leave comment.
My staff passed me the note “Sir, please contact this helper. She gave her 30 days notice and the employer wants to know what they can do.” So I called - no answer; then I tried to find her on What’sapp - no account. Finally I sent her a text message. At 1 a.m. I received her reply “Sorry for the late answer Sir. I’m just off work, I work 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.”
I didn’t need to ask “Why are you resigning?” It’s obvious. Don’t you agree. Leave comment.
Too much hygiene opens the door to fungi
You might think that the more you clean, the less germy your home is.
That's what Laura-Isobel McCall, a biochemist at the University of Oklahoma, thought she'd find when she started comparing microbes between rural and urban homes in Peru and Brazil.
"We expected that all the microbes would actually become less diverse with urbanization, and that's not at all what we found for the fungi," she says.
In a new study in Nature Microbiology, McCall and her co-authors found that the fungal diversity was actually higher in urban homes, and it might be because of peoples' cleaning products and urban lifestyles.
NPR: So, You Cleaned Your Apartment. Get Ready For A Fungi Boom : Goats and Soda.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/11/06/776502362/scrubbing-your-house-of-bacteria-could-clear-the-way-for-fungus?ft=nprml&f=1001
Worker's Rights Amid the Chaos
Names marked with an asterisk* have been changed to protect identities.
Hong Kong, China - Maricel* and six friends, Filipina migrants who work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong, recently went on a day tour, travelling by bus across the border to Shenzhen, a Chinese city in the province of Guangdong known for its lavish malls and burgeoning tech scene.
Found this interesting article on how helpers are coping during the political chaos in Hong Kong.
Rugby and Domestic Workers
Every Sunday, Hong Kong’s streets and public spaces fill with the city’s domestic helpers. An estimated 390,000 foreign workers, virtually all female and most from either the Philippines or Indonesia set up camp on bridges, walkways and in parks on their one day off.
SCMP has an interesting article about domestic helpers playing rugby. Great exercise and also a great way to release your aggression after a hard week at work. Just feels good to tackle someone and throw them to the ground.
Minimum wage increase effective today
Here's an excerpt from the Labour Department announcement:
The Government announced today (September 27) that the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong will be increased by 2.4 per cent, from $4,520 to $4,630 per month.
“Under the Standard Employment Contract for hiring FDHs, employers are required to provide FDHs with food free of charge. At present, the vast majority of employers provide free food to FDHs. Employers may, however, choose to pay a food allowance in lieu. The food allowance will be increased by $46 (or 4.3 per cent) from not less than $1,075 to not less than $1,121 per month.
The new levels of the MAW and food allowance will apply to all FDH contracts signed on or after tomorrow (September 28).”
https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/press20190927.htm
Parenting hack to teach kids to pick up their toys
This Ridiculously Simple Hack Will Make Sure Your Kid Cleans Up Their Toys http://flip.it/euJ5SA
YAYA - a documentary
Watched this wonderful documentary about one helper, the family she served, and her family back home. Every employer should watch this film! We welcome your comments..