Employers urged to remind workers to switch to smart ID card

A Hong Kong employers’ group urged its members to remind or even to accompany their domestic workers to change over to the new smart identity card.

Betty Yung Ma Shan-yee, chairperson of the Hong Kong Employers of Overseas Domestic Helpers’ Association, said she had heard of a rumor going around among domestic workers that they do not need to replace their old ID card for a new, smart one, news website HK01.com reported.

It is also apparent that some employers are unaware that domestic workers are included in the program to replace ID cards.

The Security Bureau has launched a four-year move to replace all citizens’ ID cards by 2022. The second phase of the renewal program started on Monday for people who were born in 1985 and 1986. The Immigration Department will announce the replacement exercise timetable for other age groups in due course.

Yung said there are 360,000 domestic workers in Hong Kong and they have limited channels to receive information from the government.

She urged employers to remind their workers to replace their ID cards according to the government’s timetable.

She also suggested that the Immigration Department promote the program to domestic workers, or allow the employer and the worker to replace their ID cards at the same time.

As the opening times of the nine replacement center have been set from 8am to 10pm from Monday to Saturday but not on Sundays or public holidays, Yung urged employers to accommodate their workers’ needs and allow them time to secure their replacement ID cards.

No fee will be charged for the new smart ID card under the replacement program, but those who fail to get them during the specified period without a valid reason could face a fine of HK$5,000 (US$637).

Read: Domestic workers reminded to get new smart HK ID cards