Filipino caregivers with the right qualifications will join a pilot program in Korea.
Language skills
Passed the Korean language test and an English interview
Certification
Holders of the Philippines ‘Caregiving NC Ⅱ’ certification (780+ hours of training)
Medical exam and criminal history
No mental illness, drug addiction, or criminal record
Visa requirements
Those who have not stayed in Korea for more than 5 years through non-professional employment (E-9) or seafarer employment (E-10)
Training for service professionals after entering Korea
A total of 144 hours of training over four weeks, 80 hours of Korean language and culture training, and 64 hours of job training (32 hours of caregiving and 32 hours of housework).
A seven-month pilot program
100 caregivers from the Philippines arrived in South Korea in the early morning hours of August 6, 2024, through Incheon International Airport.
A total of 160 hours of specialized training is required for 4 weeks (8.6-9.2) after arrival. The training is divided into general basic training (16 hours) and job training (144 hours) for the E-9 employment authorization system. The contents of the training include safety and health and basic living laws, sexual harassment prevention education, child care and housekeeping job training, Korean language (elementary and intermediate) and cultural education. As for job training, we also practiced understanding the structure of houses and how to use home appliances through actual on-site training at home.
Job training locations near shared dormitories (Yeoksam Station)
Located a 5-minute walk from Yeoksam Station, the share house offers rooms (4.8㎡~6.5㎡) that can be used by 1~2 people for 7 months (August 2024~February 2025). The share house was prepared by the service provider with the convenience of residence and movement in mind. 98 Filipino guardians live in two groups in a hostel near Yeoksam. Single rooms cost 450,000 won, and double rooms cost 390,000~420,000 won.
4 weeks of specialized training followed by a 6-month pilot program (24.9.3~25.2)
Eligible applicants are Seoul residents who have a child under the age of 12 (born after July 18, 2011) or a pregnant woman who is expecting a baby, with priority given to single parents, multiples, dual-income earners, and pregnant women. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 56% of the households selected for the pilot program live in the so-called “Gangnam 3” (Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa-gu) and “Mayongseong” (Mapo, Yongsan, and Seongdong-gu). This is because the monthly salary of a foreign Caregiver is set at 2.38 million won (for an eight-hour workday), making the program available only to households that can afford it.
Part-time (4 or 6 hours per day), full-time (8 hours per day), commuter-based positions available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Scope of Work – Korea Caregiver Pilot Program Announcement to the Philippines by the Government of Korea and Korea Manpower Corporation
Caregiver Pilot Program Service Provider Selection Results – 2 companies
- ㈜ 홈스토리생활 / Home Story Life Inc (Gangnam) – Mobile App – 대리주부 (daerijubu)
- ㈜ 휴브리스 / HUBRIZ inc (Seongdong) – Mobile App – 돌봄플러스 (dorbomplus)
Home Story Life(daerijubu) and HUBRIZ(dorbomplus) is 70 and 30 Filipino Caregiver workers, respectively, will be brokered to families who want to use them. (2 evicted for unauthorized departure)
Payroll
In 2024, the minimum wage will be 9,860 won per hour, which is higher than Hong Kong and Singapore. (Singapore does not have a minimum wage, and Hong Kong has not ratified the ILO Discrimination Convention.) The pilot project will run until February 2025, and from January 1, 2025, the minimum wage will be 10,030 won per hour, a 1.7% increase from 2024.
The current “monthly salary” system, where salaries are paid on the 20th of each month, will be replaced by a two-time salary system, where salaries are paid on the 10th and 20th of each month, allowing you to choose whether to receive your salary all at once or in two installments.
Seoul Metropolitan City “Filipino Caregiver, average salary of 1.8 million won in October”
September salary, average of 1.8 million won even including Chuseok holidays, minimum 30-hour workweek guaranteed “1.54 million to 2.29 million won”
*Users will have to pay 13,700 won per hour instead of 9,860 won. The difference of about 4,000 won is due to the four major insurance premiums (employment insurance, national pension, health insurance, industrial accident compensation insurance) and the brokerage commission of the brokerage firm.
According to the Labor Standards Act, workers can work up to 52 hours a week and receive a 50% surcharge for holidays and overtime. According to the surcharge table, the following conditions are added to the existing rate (hourly wage of 13,700 won) of 50%: 100% for 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week or more, weekends (Sat, Sun) and holiday work, night work (22:00-6:00), and 8 hours of holiday overtime.
Income tax and housing expenses – Single room is 450,000 won, double room is 390,000~420,000 won. Transportation and food expenses are also borne by the individual. Based on the minimum hourly wage of 9,860 won, the monthly salary is 209 hours a month including 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and 35 hours of weekly vacation. After deducting housing, food, and transportation expenses, a Filipino Caregiver will have 800,000~1 million won left.
Improvements
After the 7-month pilot program ends, the period of stay will be extended for up to 3 years through a review process
Considering that the Filipino Caregivers who participated in the pilot project had a 7-month stay (visa) period, which caused great job insecurity for them, the Ministry of Employment will extend the period of stay for foreign workers under the current employment authorization system (E-9).
starting September 26, we eliminated the check-in and went completely autonomous. However, to ensure safety, we decided to share weekend overnight stays with the group leader via Telegram or email.
For those who serve more than two homes per day, we try to reduce travel time by placing the homes as close together as possible, and improve working conditions by providing places to rest in between.
Caregiver who go to multiple homes per day are provided with a list of public places where they can rest between traveling and waiting. These include libraries, community centers, foreigner centers, and delivery rider shelters, and Filipino Caregivers reported a lack of space to wait before entering homes.
Strengthen cooperation with the Philippine Embassy in Korea on immigration issues.
On September 28, a labor officer from the Philippine Embassy in Korea visited the shared dormitory to remind domestic workers of the punishments under Korean law for illegal immigration. We also plan to provide ongoing training to service providers to report if they are approached by brokers and encourage workers to report if they recognize a broker.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government responded to the decision to deport two undocumented Filipino caregivers arrested in Busan on October 4 by saying, “We will respect the opinion of the Ministry of Justice and respond decisively in accordance with the law and principles regarding the management of caregivers’ stay.”
Discussion
The government plans to attract an additional 1,200 foreign caregivers in the first half of next year as a major project. This is separate from the pilot project evaluation. Negotiations will be held with other countries, including the Philippines. They also plan to attract an additional 5,000 foreign students (D-2) and spouses of foreign workers (F-3). Since they can be hired as “housekeepers” through one-on-one contracts with householders, they may not be subject to the minimum wage depending on the situation.