Hiring a foreign domestic helper can help reduce the pressure of housework and caregiving for many families. However, bringing someone new into the home also comes with adjustment challenges and potential risks. Recently, there have been many online discussions and news reports involving foreign domestic helpers, reminding employers to stay prepared and take proper precautions to protect their families.

The first part we have discussed that conducting surveillance on foreign domestic helpers(FDHs) is not as straightforward as one might think. This is because FDHs are also protected by the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. Therefore, the Labour Department recommends a series of methods to be attempted before resorting to surveillance in order to safeguard the privacy of FDHs and establish a trusting employment relationship.

Many employers who hire foreign domestic helpers(FDHs) not only to share the duties of housework and cooking but also to assist in taking care of children or elderly family members. They may consider installing surveillance cameras at home to observe and monitor the working performance of FDHs. Employers conducting surveillance on their employees at home are subject to legal regulation, which may involve the collection of personal data under The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. According to this ordinance, if the identity and personal data of employees in the workplace have been determined, employers must adhere to the requirements of the six data protection principles under the Privacy Ordinance.