Maids Get A Pay Freeze Amid Covid-19

Foreign domestic helpers won't be getting a pay rise in the coming year.

The government announced on Tuesday that the monthly wage of domestic helpers will remain unchanged at HK$4,630.

A food allowance – for those whose employers do not provide them with food – will also stay steady at HK$1,121.

A government spokesman said the decision to freeze pay and the food allowance was made after officials took into consideration local economic conditions in the past year, its near-term outlook as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government reviews the pay of foreign domestic helpers on a yearly basis and normally offers a modest increase. Last year, they received a 2.4 percent hike, and in 2018 their pay went up by 2.5 percent.