Planning to work in Japan as a household service worker? Well, take note of these important reminders.
Filipino household service workers (HWS) headed for Japan should not be asked to pay for their placement fees, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
This mandate is based on a new guideline called the POEA Governing Board Resolution 08-2016. It plainly states that “Collection of placement fees from the housekeepers by Employment Agencies, Sending and Specified Organizations for placement of housekeepers is prohibited.”
On top of that, other administrative fees, whether direct or indirect, as well as salary deduction will not be allowed.
POEA emphasized that housekeepers should only be required to shoulder expenses for their passports, barangay and NBI clearance, preliminary medical examination, as well as PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG membership.
Moreover, POEA also said that HSWs from the Philippines will already be allowed to be deployed in Japan by private sectors but will be pilot-tested in Kanagawa Prefecture, including the city of Yokohama.
According to the standards set by the POEA, only individuals who are at least 23 years old and above can apply and work as HSWs bound for Japan. Of course, the applicant should have a minimum of 1-year experience in housekeeping services and a TESDA National Certificate II (NC II).
Usually, language training is not required for housekeepers but just in case, the Japanese employers will have to pay for the language competency training.
Household service workers in Japan generally work for a minimum of 5 days per week or 35 hours per week. The salaries they receive are exactly the same as Japanese housekeepers. Their daily tasks include cleaning the household, child care, sewing, gardening, and many others.
Those looking forward to applying as HSWs should get in touch with legitimate recruiters and agencies to avoid potential problems.