[Query]

for termination of contract and re-hire, isn't your helper entitled to a return ticket to Philippines? So minimum cost of rehire will be any admin cost, visa plus return airfare?

[peainpod]

According to the papers, the govt has waived the requirement for a return trip back to the Philippines in the case of early termination/rehiring.

[Mommy Poon]

I paid my levy in late June. My agent told me there is no point to renewal contract now since, I have already paid the levy up to end of Nov and I should renewal in Oct.

Also, I asked her what payments do I need to give my helper, she said I have to give her one month notice in writing or money and ticket back to home country and ticket back to HK (this can be settled by payment since she doesn't have to physically leave HK). I would also have to pay the agent HKD1800 admin fee and HKD358 admin fee on behalf of the helper. My helper is Indonesian btw. Tickets to indonesia cost around 3000-5000 for a return ticket. So all of these costs add together and you are really going thru all this hassle and in the end you will only saving a few thousand.

Also this so called early renewal of contract is bascially early termination and then re-hire. "Early renewal" is just a nice way of putting it. I personally believe it can damage the employer/employee relationship if you don't handle it well.

[mushi]

Can someone pls. make this easy for me to understand..... i have paid the first installment of capital levy, the next installment is in September....do i still have to pay it?

[rani]

Mushi,

One of the first articles in the SCMP stated that employers who are paying by installment would not have to pay future installments, but according to the Gov't website, that's incorrect.

Employers of pre-existing contracts, i.e. contracts with visa granted before August 1, 2008, are required to continue to pay their levy as provided under the ERO. That said, they would be able to enjoy levy suspension for the new contract period when visas for contract renewal of their serving FDHs or for the hiring of new FDHs are granted at any point in time during the two-year levy suspension period.

[happymebaby]

Hi Rani when you say contracts with visa granted before August 1, 2008, does it mean when the DH arrive in HK or when the agent applied for the visa? As my new helper will be arriving within this week and I don't know whether I'm entitle to the levy waiver?! Thanks

[jodymo]

My helper says that we just have to make a new application, with support letters. Apparently the government are dealing with the added influx of helper renewels by opening longer hours - though my helper says it can still take all day. So far, no mention of having to return home blah blah blah that usually happens when renewing a contract.

[cwbmum]

Hi
We hired our helper through an agency exactly one month ago. We paid the first Levy payment $2400. The lady from the agency called me yesterday and said that we can renew the contract so we don't have to pay any further levy payments. Our helper doesn't need to leave HK, she will carry on as normal but the date on her visa will be a new one.
The agency are charging us $1000 for their fee, this is fine with us as we don't want to be stood around for hours filling in forms etc. We are still saving a lot of money even after paying the agency fee.
We have decided to give our helper an extra bonus each month due to food costs etc.
So in the end we are all happy.