SEOUL: In the wake of two caregivers from the Philippines abruptly disappearing just two weeks into Seoul’s foreign caregiver pilot programme, officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labour convened a meeting in Seoul on Tuesday (Sept 24) to address operational challenges faced by the caregivers.
Among the issues the meeting participants highlighted were lengthy commutes between assignments and a heavy workload associated with caring for multiple children.
The meeting included representatives from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labour, chief executives of the two official service providers – HomeStory Living and Hubriz – selected by Seoul city and the Labour Ministry, along with two Filipino caregivers participating in this programme who provided only their first names, Jasmine Erica and Joan.
This meeting follows an incident in which two of the 100 caregivers participating in the pilot programme disappeared from their accommodations in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, during the Chuseok holiday on Sept 15.
Attempts by the service providers to contact them have been unsuccessful. According to the programme regulations, they will be classified as undocumented starting on Sept 26.
Local reports initially raised concerns about financial hardship stemming from the monthly pay system, in which workers receive their salaries the following month after working. However, at the meeting, Seoul city said wage issues are not the problem.
“Despite speculation about discontent driven by pay, the caregivers explained otherwise, noting that their earnings here are substantially (high) compared with standards in their home country,” said Seoul city’s women and family policy division director Kim Sun-soon.
In the meeting, Kim said their pay, amounting to more than two million won (S$1,930), is felt to be substantial compared with wages in the Philippines, where they would earn between 300,000 won and 400,000 won per month.
Seoul city announced it would not pursue a full transition to a weekly pay system, as, according to it, there were virtually no complaints about the current payment system. Instead, weekly payments will be available as an option for those who prefer them.
“The consensus among them seems that monthly wages facilitate better financial planning,” Kim said.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government attributed the challenges faced by the caregivers more to long commute times and difficulties in managing multiple children rather than financial reasons.
“One instance involved responsibility for both a 20-month-old and a five-year-old simultaneously, which was noted as a key factor triggering stress,” Kim said.
Seoul city plans to consider providing additional compensation to Filipino caregivers caring for multiple children in a household, similar to how caregivers in other Seoul city initiatives receive a 50 per cent increase in their base pay when caring for two children.
Excessive time spent commuting between households was identified as another significant issue for caregivers responsible for multiple families, with some managing as many as three or four homes each.
Seoul announced it would explore ways to allocate caregivers that minimise travel time.
The foreign caregiver pilot programme, pursued by Seoul city and the Labour Ministry, is designed to provide 157 selected families with affordable childcare in response to a shortage of local caregivers willing to do low-wage care work.
The six-month pilot programme – exclusively for Seoul households, primarily dual-income with multiple children – hires only women aged between 24 to 38 of Philippine nationality who hold the Caregiving National Certification Level II Certificate from the Philippine government. The participating 100 caregivers began working on Sept 3.
The caregivers work flexible shifts between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday. Seoul city guarantees them at least 30 hours of work a week, or a minimum income of approximately 1.54 million won a month.
If they work eight hours a day, five days a week, they earn around 2.38 million won a month before tax and insurance deductions. - The Korea Herald/ANN
