I remember getting flak from friends when a Hong Kong newbie asked about hiring a domestic helper. I advised, when interviewing candidates, to ask: do you have your passport? And ask to see it. If the answer is no, next question is, where is it? This is because many helpers are in debt and have pawned their passports to loan sharks. The Philippines Consulate will usually replace a maximum of two “lost” passports only, so this can present a problem if a helper is without a travel document. Also, serious debt leads to a raft of other issues. They often give the loan shark a copy of their contract, which contains the employers’ details. With one lady I started getting threatening phone calls at odd hours from dodgy-sounding men, culminating in one turning up on the doorstep demanding to see her. If she owes a lot of money, you need to know. It can seriously undermine the employer-employee relationship, with her becoming understandably miserable and asking for wages months in advance. She may even have borrowed from neighbours’ helpers. I was on the other end of this one: my generous if naive helper tried to save her pals from the loan shark by lending them her hard-earned cash, but they failed to repay her.
Religious duty
Next question I would ask: do you have religious obligations over and above going to church on Sundays? If the answer is yes, the next question is, what are they? You may say an employer has no right to ask, but I learned the hard way. I discovered that while I was at work, one lady I employed sneaked off every day for several hours. I discovered she was cooking and cleaning for the priest in Mui Wo. My devotion to the Roman Catholic Church did not extend to lending him my housekeeper for free. As far as she was concerned, this was her religious duty and took priority over her day job.
Beware loan sharks