17 hours with no break

Published in Die Zeit, 4.5.2017

One in eight Hong Kong households has a foreign domestic helper. They are overworked, get meagre wages and enjoy few rights. Why do they put up with it? One answer is the large difference in wage levels between Hong Kong and their countries of origin, mostly the Philippines and Indonesia. Another is false promises. On the ground, I found out more.

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 © Gratiane de Moustier / DIE ZEIT

 © Gratiane de Moustier / DIE ZEIT

One in eight Hong Kong households has a foreign domestic helper. They are overworked, get meagre wages and enjoy few rights. Why do they put up with it? One answer is the large difference in wage levels between Hong Kong and their countries of origin, mostly the Philippines and Indonesia. Another is false promises. On the ground, I found out more.

Read it as published in: