Reduce your own risk by protecting your helper from danger

Like all of us, domestic helpers are at risk of being accidentally injured or falling sick due to disease. It is just a fact of life that, from time to time, things go wrong and a trip to the hospital is required. In Hong Kong, recent incidents highlight the situation starkly.

In July, there was a tragic case of a family being struck by a moving tram. In what was a deeply upsetting series of events, a little girl lost her life and members of her family were badly injured. Injured too was the family’s domestic helper, and she required hospital treatment along with her employer’s family members.

Another recent incident highlights how domestic helpers can unintentionally get themselves into debt. One woman, who needed to borrow money for a family emergency back home, fell victim to an online loan “scam”, with the lender charging very high rates of interest and even allegedly visiting the employer’s residence and, later, threatening the helper. This demonstrates the risk that dealing with unscrupulous moneylenders can have, not just to the helper, but also to the employer who could be threatened for non-repayment.

Sometimes, however, the worst happens and a domestic helper loses her life. In 2022, a 35-year-old woman drowned at a popular beauty spot near Tsuen Wan while out hiking in her leisure time. The tragedy illustrates how, even when spending time in nature enjoying healthy activities, the risk of injury and even death is very real.

For employers, the danger lies in being financially impacted by a sudden illness, financial impropriety or even the death of a domestic helper. So it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure they have taken out adequate insurance for their employee in case expensive medical treatment, or even repatriation, is required. MSIG’s HelperSurance 4.0 provides surgical and hospitalisation expenses, personal accident benefit, fidelity guarantee, repatriation expenses, and more.

To illustrate the risks for employers, and how MSIG’s HelperSurance 4.0 can help, we have three hypothetical scenarios. In the first, a helper borrows from an unlicensed moneylender and quickly gets into debt. In order to pay off her debt, she stole HK$9,000 from her employer’s drawer. The employer discovers the dishonesty and terminates the helper’s employment. The employer can claim the lost HK$9,000 back via HelperSurance 4.0. Furthermore, the employer claims HK$500 for a replacement metal gate lock to ensure the family’s safety.

In the second scenario, the helper is injured in a road traffic accident and requires a minor operation to her arm and short stay in hospital. HelperSurance 4.0 comes to the rescue once again, as it covers surgeon’s fees up to HK$10,000, plus HK$300 per day towards the room for the helper while she heals. Not only does this soften the financial blow to the employer, it also gives the employer peace of mind that the helper will make a steady recover after receiving the best possible care.

In the third scenario, a helper is tragically killed while crossing the street on her day off. While the accident was undoubtedly the fault of the driver, who was speeding at the time, the responsibility for repatriation of the body can still lie with the employer. HelperSurance 4.0 covers repatriation costs of up to HK$20,000, significantly reducing the financial burden to the employer and bringing some small comfort to the family left behind in her home country.

Domestic helpers are work hard in our homes so that we can work hard in our careers. So give them, and yourself, the protection you both deserve, and look forward to a happy, stress-free partnership.

For details of terms, conditions and exclusions, please refer to the policy wording of HelperSurance 4.0.

To find out more about MSIG’s HelperSurance 4.0:
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