How should I choose an employment agency?

There are many domestic helper employment agencies in Hong Kong, but choosing the right one is difficult. The sad reality is there are many unethical employment agencies operating in Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines. If you choose an employment agency that is incompatible or unethical, it not only wastes your money, but also your time.

What should I look for when choosing an agency?

Regardless of which employment agency you choose to use, you should as a minimum check that the agency is:

• Licensed by the Hong Kong Labour Department by checking for their license on the Employment Agencies Portal.
• Accredited by the helper’s home country by checking the Indonesian and Philippines consulate accreditation lists.

What should I watch out for when choosing an agency?

You will want to stay away from using their services if an employment agency does any of the following:

• Offers low prices: If an agency is offering low prices, this usually means that they’re forcing the domestic helper or sneaking in hidden costs throughout the hiring process to make up the difference. When this happens, it can cause a host of problems for both employer and domestic helper.
• Offers an ‘exit to Macau’ option: This exposes both the domestic helper and you to prosecution for violating immigration law. Depending on the situation the domestic helper is leaving, the law requires them to return to their place of origin between contracts.
• Offers unusually fast processing: When an agency promises extremely fast processing times, more often than not, they are just using unrealistic marketing tactics. Mainly because they have almost no control over the processing time. See these articles on processing timelines for Filipino and Indonesian helpers.

About Fair

Fair Employment Agency got started in 2014 because we saw a better way of hiring domestic helpers. Through the years we have helped thousands of households hire domestic helpers ethically, without ever charging fees to workers, and looking out for everyone’s best interest in each hire. Today, we are more motivated than ever. Read more about Fair here.