The fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic here has exposed many of the fault lines in Hong Kong society, from a heavy-handed bureaucracy to inadequate housing and a lack of job security at the grassroots level. 

But perhaps the most damaging fault line of all, in terms of the city’s international reputation, is some employers’ treatment of their foreign domestic workers (FDWs).

As the highly contagious Omicron variant began to ravage the special administrative region, reports soon emerged of some FDWs not being allowed by their employers to go out on their statutory days off for fear that they might catch the virus. 

These reports were followed by news that some FDWs who tested positive for COVID-19 were even kicked out of their employers’ homes, leaving them with no option but to sleep in parks or on the streets, unless they were lucky enough to find space in a local charity shelter.

Ever since the shocking revelations from the 2014 trial of Law Wan-tung, a Hong Kong resident who was found to have systematically abused her domestic helper over a period of several months, labor activists here have been calling for the removal of the mandatory live-in requirement — a clause in the standard employment contract for foreign domestic helpers stipulating that all FDWs must live with their employers — on the grounds that it puts domestic helpers at the mercy of some potentially abusive bosses. However, up until now, the government has yet to heed their calls.

The mandatory live-in requirement isn’t, however, the only issue facing FDWs in Hong Kong; they also have to deal with a lack of suitable places to go to on their days off. 

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So it came as no great surprise when reports surfaced in the local media of groups of domestic helpers being fined the equivalent of a month’s salary for violating social-distancing rules during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Of course, these violations cannot be defended, especially in light of the worrying number of COVID-19 cases among domestic helpers at the time. 

The fact remains that, as a result of the mandatory live-in requirement, FDWs here are effectively obliged to go out on their days off. And since their disposable income is obviously limited, their choice of meeting places is clearly limited too

However, the fact remains that, as a result of the mandatory live-in requirement, FDWs here are effectively obliged to go out on their days off. And since their disposable income is obviously limited, their choice of meeting places is clearly limited too.

Hence, it’s absolutely essential that the government take action now to remove the mandatory live-in requirement for FDWs, not only to protect them from the potentially abusive employers but also to give them somewhere to go outside their place of work without having to congregate in public spaces. 

On its own, however, removing the mandatory live-in requirement would not solve the problem, as the average salary of a domestic helper would not afford her the luxury of living away from her employer, while most employers would understandably be extremely reluctant to foot the bill for their helpers’ outside accommodations. 

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So, for both these reasons, the government must seriously consider the option of providing a number of dormitories for FDWs around Hong Kong.

This suggestion might sound impractical at first. However, there are many decommissioned school buildings currently lying empty across the SAR, and some could surely be redesigned as dormitories for all those domestic helpers here who’d prefer to live outside their place of work. 

If these converted school premises could include communal areas as well, they could also function as community centers for FDWs on weekends, thus removing the problem of domestic helpers crowding out public places on Sundays.

The proposal would no doubt encounter stiff opposition from certain segments of the local population, particularly in light of the overall severe shortage of affordable housing here. 

However, this opposition could easily be countered by simply emphasizing the invaluable role that FDWs play in Hong Kong society. After all, without their support, many local women would simply be unable to devote themselves fully to their chosen careers.

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Unfortunately, the support of FDWs is something that many Hong Kong residents have come to take for granted. 

However, as the standard of living continues to rise  across Asia — not least in Indonesia and the Philippines, the combined source of the overwhelming majority of domestic helpers here — it would be foolish to assume that the supply of FDWs will be guaranteed in the future. 

For this reason, the government must start taking measures now to ensure that Hong Kong remains an appealing destination for domestic helpers as other cities in the region emerge as potential competitors in the market for overseas domestic labor. And where better for the government to start than by investing in dormitories/community centers for FDWs?

The author is an educator, commentator and director of a company providing English-language services in Hong Kong.