What factors affect employers' experiences in hiring foreign domestic workers?
While previous studies have noted negative experiences in hiring foreign domestic workers, they did not examine the role of resources in shaping the experience. This study examined resource-related factors that may be associated with negative experiences, including economic resources (such as income and housing conditions) and information resources (such as social networks and past experiences). Our research found that whether employers have a positive experience hiring foreign domestic workers, as well as the frequency of needing to change workers, is influenced by the resources available to the employer's household. For instance, if a couple lives in a small space and lacks relatives or friends to provide information, their experience in hiring a foreign domestic worker tends to be poorer. Additionally, if a couple had prior experience with hiring foreign domestic workers during their childhood, they are likely to have a more stable hiring process with a lower probability of replacing domestic workers.
The survey included 732 employer-worker dyads. On average, the employers gave an average rating of 6.16 (on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest) to their foreign domestic workers. 34.0% of the employment experiences ended in replacement of the foreign domestic worker. The average monthly household income was HK$60,890, which is considerably higher than the average for the general population in Hong Kong. Families with foreign domestic workers live in apartments with an average size of 610 square feet, 2.6 bedrooms, and 1.2 toilets.
Household Income
Interestingly, while economic income is a very tangible resource factor, we found that this factor is not related to employers' satisfaction with the employed domestic workers. This is because hiring foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong is generally based on the minimum wage. Even if employers have higher incomes, they are not inclined to seek higher-quality foreign domestic workers by offering higher wages. Therefore, other resource factors are more influential in the hiring experience.
Housing Conditions
Among the economic resources, housing conditions have the most significant impact in shaping the employers' experience. Our in-depth interview data revealed that employers with smaller living spaces often complained about foreign domestic workers' "bad habits," such as idling on their phones in the living room, hindering children's activities, or wearing inadequate clothing, among other things. On the other hand, if foreign domestic workers do not have their own room, it tends to lead to privacy issues. Therefore, inadequate housing space exacerbates friction between employers and foreign domestic workers. This also echoes previous research that indicates the size of the living area is related to the mental well-being of both employers and foreign domestic workers.
Social Networks and Information Sources
Data shows that employers who hire foreign domestic workers through their social networks give higher ratings to their foreign domestic workers. If employers themselves or their relatives and friends have experience in hiring foreign domestic workers, they can acquire more relevant information and even directly hire those foreign domestic workers, increasing the chances of finding a suitable match. Conversely, if a family lacks social connections and information, they are left with no choice but to hire foreign domestic workers through agencies. For employers, it is difficult to judge whether a foreign domestic worker is suitable based solely on CVs and interviews.
Childhood Experience
Additionally, households that have previous experience in hiring foreign domestic workers during their childhood do not necessarily give higher ratings to their foreign domestic workers but are less likely to switch foreign domestic workers. This may be because they have a better understanding of how to interact with foreign domestic workers or have more realistic expectations of employing them.
Research Findings
In summary, employers' experiences in hiring foreign domestic workers are influenced by housing conditions and information sources. Considering the recent trend of hiring foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong expanding from affluent families to lower SES families, and with property prices remaining high, the issue of resource scarcity will become more severe, potentially leading to more negative experiences. If the relationship between employers and foreign domestic workers is poor, it can lead to frequent turnover of these workers, which may negatively impact the growth and development of children. In response to this crisis, the government could consider providing more affordable childcare and home-based services as alternative options. Policymakers may also reconsider relaxing the legal requirements concerning live-in rules.
