Foreign nannies start service with 'clarified guidelines'

A Filipina domestic helper takes care of a baby in a home in Seoul. (The Seoul Metropolitan Government)

A total of 100 Filipina domestic workers began providing services on Tuesday for 142 families across Seoul, following the introduction of detailed job guidelines designed to clarify their role, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

The city government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have been advancing a project to introduce foreign caregivers in response to the declining number of local domestic workers, amid an aging population and the rising costs of child care. The start of services by the Filipina workers marks the commencement of a six-month pilot program.

However, critics have expressed concerns about the potential misuse and exploitation of the workers. In response to these growing concerns, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday it explicitly defined the entire scope of the domestic workers' work.

In a bid to eliminate potential conflicts over unclear boundaries, the city announced a comprehensive set of guidelines Tuesday. The guidelines clearly define the workers' primary responsibilities, which are centered on child care tasks. These include dressing, bathing, helping a child with the toilet, meal preparation and supervision. Additionally, caregivers will handle light housekeeping duties directly related to child care, such as cleaning play areas and washing children’s clothes and dishes.

If engaged for more than six hours a day, the workers can also perform supplementary household chores, provided they do not compromise their primary duty of ensuring child care safety. This includes light tasks like vacuuming or laundry when necessary. However, tasks such as elder care, pet care, heavy cleaning and cooking for adults remain beyond their scope, according to the city government.

A flexible, on-demand application process for the program was introduced to better accommodate families amid rising cancellations, according to officials. Families with children under 12 years old in Seoul can apply for the services through designated mobile apps, and no longer have to commit to a long contract to qualify.

This change comes in response to high initial demand and subsequent reductions from 157 to 142 families due to changes and cancellations.

The pilot program, which is confined to Seoul and initially hires exclusively Philippine nationals, runs until February 2025. The Labor Ministry plans to fine-tune the policy after the six-month pilot, after monitoring the program. This evaluation may lead to a potential expansion of the program in future.

By Lee Jaeeun(jenn@heraldcorp.com)