Our Story
We got started because we saw a better way of hiring domestic helpers. By removing worker placement fees, we’ve reinvented the domestic helper agency so that it is fair to workers, and fair to employers.
Debt Bondage
For too long, employment agencies have been making money from doing a bad job. Employers are charged for bad customer service, while agencies secretly charge domestic helpers too. This illegal practice leaves domestic helpers in debt and it fails employers.
When agencies charge domestic helpers, they are incentivised to place those who are willing to pay, rather than those who are right for the job. When a helper is fired or quits, the agency makes more money by charging replacement workers. Meanwhile the domestic helper gets further into debt as she borrows more money for a new job.
We saw this broken system and knew we could do better.

Our Solution
We launched Fair Employment Agency as a better way of hiring domestic helpers. Because we never charge fees to domestic helpers, our agency works for the interests of everyone.
Domestic helpers benefit because they start their jobs free from recruitment debt. Employers benefit because we only place helpers who are a good match for their family. And Hong Kong benefits because we are setting a new standard of professionalism for all employment agencies.

How we got started
-
A solvable problem - Aug 2012
Whilst on an internship in Hong Kong, Scott Stiles gets thinking about the problems with the domestic worker recruitment system and arrives at “we can solve this”. He begins writing up a plan to beat exploitative employment agencies at their own game with a new kind of agency. One that is fair to workers and fair to employers.
-
The Founders - Sep 2012
Soon afterwards, Tammy Baltz joins the team. Tammy has been volunteering with indebted domestic workers for 10 years and is also trying to fix the worker placement fees problem.
-
The business plan - Oct 2012
Scott finishes up his internship in Hong Kong and goes back to university in the US. He writes up a business plan for the ‘Domestic Worker Project’. Meanwhile Tammy continues building support for the idea in Hong Kong.
-
Start-up funds - Oct 2013
Some philanthropists see Scott’s business plan and promise start-up funds if he moves out to Hong Kong to do it. They’re a little surprised when he actually turns up in Hong Kong to do it! But thankfully still give start-up funds anyway.
-
We hit the streets - May 2014
With no money for advertising, Scott, Tammy, and a small army of students hit the streets telling people about our new ethical employment agency.
-
We’re official! - Aug 2014
We receive accreditation from the Philippines Consulate (and get our first logo).
-
Hello Wan Chai - Aug 2014
We move into Fair’s first HQ in Wan Chai.
-
First placement - Sep 2014
Our new employment agency officially opens its doors. We are featured in SCMP’s Post Magazine and the phone starts ringing! We match our first worker with our first employer, and the worker doesn’t pay a thing.
-
More leadership - Jan 2015
Jennifer Meehan hears what we’re doing and offers her help. The former Asia Regional CEO of Grameen Foundation volunteers full time for two years as our Director of Strategic Development. She builds out our impact evaluation model and helps our young team grow into leadership roles.
-
Wonderful people - Mar 2015
As demand grows for our services, we have to expand the team quite quickly. We’re grateful to find wonderful, talented people who want to join our team.
-
Hello space - Jul 2015
As demand grows, we need to expand again to fit more wonderful people in. We rent another office (upstairs from Fair HQ).
-
Promo vid - Oct 2016
Our friends at Thomson Reuters help us produce a promotional video which is played to 60,000 people at Hong Kong’s biggest music festival.
-
Clockenflap - Nov 2016
Fair Employment Agency volunteers greet thousands of festival goers at Clockenflap and spread the word on our work.
-
1000th placement - Dec 2016
We place 1000 domestic workers, saving those workers an estimated US$1.5million in recruitment debt.
-
TVB Pearl Report - Apr 2017
TVB Pearl feature our work in a feature length piece on exploitation in the domestic worker recruitment process. Fair Employment Agency is presented as a new type of domestic helper agency and we have a boost in new clients after the show airs.
-
A new look - Oct 2017
Thanks to a kind donor, we strengthen all of our technology platforms, build a new website and update our look.
-
Goodbye Wanchai, hello Sheung Wan! - Aug 2018
Coming up to our fourth year, our team was quickly outgrowing our first office in Wanchai. We moved to a bigger space in Sheung Wan that would fit our 20+ team comfortably. We were fortunate to have Spatial Concept who helped us design the space to be functional and even painted our walls with the FEA colours.
-
3000th placement - Dec 2018
We place our 3000th domestic worker, helping those workers avoid an estimated US$4.5million in recruitment debt.
-
4000th placement - Jan 2020
We place our 4000th domestic worker, helping those workers avoid an estimated US$6million in recruitment debt.
-
We open our Tsuen Wan Branch! - Mar 2020
We open our second office in Tsuen Wan, so we can better serve Hong Kong families and domestic helpers.
-
We pass our 5000th placement milestone! - Jan 2021
After a challenging 2020, we begin 2021 by passing our 5000th placement milestone.
-
We are accredited with the Royal Thai Consulate - Jan 2021
We are accredited with at the Royal Thai Consulate!
Our Team
Our Board and Founders
With thanks to our supporters

Peery Foundation
technology & scaling up
Macquarie
employer engagement