Duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper in 2023

Introduction

The duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper are not just limited to household chores, cooking and meal preparation, and childcare. Also, unexpected situations arise when living with someone else in your home 24/7.

Though there are guidelines for the duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper, there is no prescribed list of tasks that a domestic helper must perform.

Though there are guidelines for the duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper, there is no prescribed list of tasks that a domestic helper must perform. The duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper have grown over time. They include cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping, gardening and other household chores.

Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong doing the 'marketing' together

Household Chores

As a domestic helper, your duties will include the following:

Cleaning the house. You'll be expected to do all the general cleaning and tidying up around the house. This includes vacuuming and mopping floors, dusting furniture and other surfaces (including blinds), washing dishes, wiping down appliances like fridges and stoves, doing laundry every week, and ironing clothes as needed (and making sure they're neat).
Cooking meals for your employer(s). If you're not skilled in cooking yet but would like to learn how this is an excellent opportunity for you! Most employers prefer that their helpers make simple meals with familiar ingredients--not too complicated or exotic--so don't worry about being judged if you aren't an expert chef yet!

Child Care

Play
Help with school projects
Assist with sports and other activities
Assist with extracurricular activities, such as music lessons or dance classes. This can include providing transportation to and from these events, helping to set up equipment and assisting in clean-up afterwards. It's also crucial for the domestic helper to help your child understand their strengths and weaknesses in sports or other physical activities so that they can continue improving their performance over time.

In addition, assisting your child with socialisation skills is an integral part of this job description! The domestic helper should be prepared for whatever comes their way while they're out on errands together - helping them make friends at school or simply answering questions about other children who might have been mean towards yours (or vice versa).

Elderly Care

As a domestic helper, you are responsible for tending to the needs of elderly clients. You may assist them with bathing and dressing, walking and mobility issues, medication management, meal preparation, or keeping them company.

In addition to these duties and responsibilities, it is also essential that you keep your elderly client safe from falls or other accidents that could happen in their home.

Cooking and meal preparation

Cooking is a duty that you will be expected to fulfil. You must prepare healthy meals for the family and ensure they suit them. Your employer may have dietary needs or preferences, so you should be aware of these and make sure that your cooking meets those requirements. You should also keep track of how much money is spent on food each week so that you can plan for future meals and use leftovers creatively to save money!

The duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper have grown over time.

In the past, the duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper were limited to cleaning, cooking and laundry. But nowadays, they have expanded to include babysitting or caring for pets.

Laundry Ironing, Cleaning, and Tidying: Household

A domestic helper performs laundry, ironing, and cleaning as the most common duties. Laundry includes washing clothes by hand or in a washing machine (if you have one). Ironing is also part of laundry duty as it involves smoothing out wrinkles on clothes before they are hung up to dry. Cleaning includes sweeping floors, polishing furniture and vacuuming carpets or rugs. Tidying involves removing the trash or putting away clutter around the house so it always looks neat!

Grocery Shopping and Errands

As a domestic helper, your duties include grocery shopping and errands. You will be responsible for shopping for food and other household items such as:

Groceries
Clothes and other household items (e.g., toiletries)
Collecting mail items and dry cleaning products

Qualities of an excellent domestic helper

You are an excellent domestic helper if you have the following qualities:

Trustworthy. Your employer will give you money and other valuables, so it is essential that you are trustworthy. You should not 'misplace' anything or lie about things that happened in their house (or wherever they live). If you broke it, say so - better to break a glass cup or plate than to be dishonest about it!
Responsible. When working as a domestic helper, many things need to be done on daily basis - from cleaning the house to cooking meals for everyone living in it; from taking care of children to making sure everyone gets up on time for school/work etc., so being responsible means doing these things without any problems at all!
Dependable/Hardworking/Good Attitude/Good Communication Skills/Good Listener / Team Player / Flexible / Positive Attitude / Loyalty Open Mindedness

How to hire a domestic helper

Check references and the domestic helper's work history.
Check the domestic helper's work permit and passport.
Check their health and ensure you are comfortable with their personality and any other personal issues (like smoking or drinking) that may affect your home environment.

However, there are more responsibilities than the obvious ones that come with being a domestic helper.

However, there are more responsibilities than the obvious ones that come with being a domestic helper. You need to be prepared for unexpected situations and have a plan of action in case they occur.

For example, if you have an elderly parent who lives with you and your family, there is always the possibility that they might fall or get injured during their stay at home. As much as possible, try to keep them away from stairs and other places where accidents can happen quickly (elevators are not recommended either).

If your employer has children who are still young enough for preschool or kindergarten classes, chances are high that these kids will get sick sooner or later too! This means extra work on your part because not only will you need help taking care of them when they're sick but also when it comes time for schoolwork assignments such as reading books out loud together before bedtime every night during winter break season starts up again after Christmas break ends next month...

Also, unexpected situations arise when you are living with someone else in your home 24/7.

Also, unexpected situations arise when you are living with someone else in your home 24/7. You need to be able to communicate effectively, trust your domestic helper, and rely on her to do tasks for you so that she can help make your life easier.

It is important for both parties to delegate tasks and give feedback, praise or criticism where necessary. Our team knows the helpers in our DB more intimately and can tell you about many of these factors based on our team's first-hand experience

A domestic helper is more than just someone who cleans your home

A domestic helper is more than just someone who cleans your home. They are an essential part of the family, and their duties and responsibilities extend beyond just housework. An excellent domestic helper should be able to perform all of these tasks:

Help with cooking (including preparing meals for guests)
Take care of children, elderly or sick family members needing assistance.
Keep the house clean and tidy at all times
Wash clothes by hand or in a washing machine if needed

Conclusion

The duties and responsibilities of a domestic helper are not limited to household chores and child care. The job is much more than cleaning up after leaving the house in the morning and returning in time for dinner. An excellent domestic helper can anticipate your needs before they arise and provide assistance without being asked. They will also help with grocery shopping, errands and other tasks that keep your life running smoothly throughout each day.

How can HelperFirst help me to find a helper to suit my family?

At HelperFirst, we already know your next domestic helper! Our experienced and professional staff are here to help you with every aspect of the hiring process, from interviewing to training. Our priority is to provide you with a helper who will fit into your family perfectly and make life easier for everyone involved.

We are better-priced than other agencies, and we offer a wide range of domestic helpers to choose from. Our staff are highly qualified and experienced in the industry, so you can be assured that they will help you make the right decision.
We have a faster turnaround time, so you’ll be able to start enjoying the benefits of having a helper in no time. Our record is five hours from enquiry to appointment!
That's because we have the biggest customer support team in this industry.
We are ethical. Some online agencies are in cahoots with fee-charging local agencies; we never charge helpers any money.