By Alice Sy

Most Filipino maids in Hong Kong would prefer Western employers over Chinese employers. Whenever they inquire from our employment agency for job opportunities, they are more likely to ask, "Do you have Western employers available?"

I often given them a resounding "Yes" since our agency receives requirements for domestic assistance from expatriates from time to time. Thanks to the power of internet marketing.

But out of curiosity, I usually interview those Filipino maids why they want to work for Western employers more than the Chinese employers in Hong Kong. They said that the former tend to be more understanding and generous in terms of compensation compared with the latter.

There are four major areas where Western employers show an edge over the Chinese employers in terms of their treatment of Filipina domestic helpers. They are atmosphere of work environment, consideration, socio-psychological distance and personal space. This study has been conducted by Chinese University of Hong Kong on how maids in Hong Kong are treated by their employers.

The data were based on in-depth and structured interviews of Filipino helpers who have served both types of employers. A few Western and Chinese employers were also interviewed.

Based on the study, it has been found that Western employers tend to provide their filipino domestic helpers with easier and comfortable work environment. Western employers were found to be more considerate and are more likely to treat their domestic helpers equally and allow them more personal space, thus giving the helpers more work satisfaction.

Western employers are more homogeneous in terms of variations in treatment of filipino domestic helpers and also tend to concentrate on the positive side while Chinese employers are more diversified. As a summary, filipino domestic helpers are more likely to know what Western employers are expecting of them and how they would be treated versus the Chinese employers where treatment usually vary from one employer to the other. - 18098

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