Jiangsu regulates housekeeping service companies

2021-11-24 15:14:00

Jiangsu released a guideline over the development of companies that provide housekeeping service through their own employees on November 23, the first such province-level regulation in China.

Generally speaking, there are two kinds of housekeeping companies. The staff-based refers to those who formally hire employees for the work, make payment no less than the local minimum wage standard and also provide formal trainings. The second type is brokers that only facilitate the service by matching the supply and demand. Like the rest of the country, housekeeping companies in the form of service broking account for over 90% of the total in Jiangsu.

The guideline sets out clear requirements for staff-based companies on many fronts, such as business premise, organizational structure, personnel requirements, management, credit management and health check of employees.

For example, companies need to make monthly payment to their employees, ensure employees can be off duty for no less than 24 consecutive hours per week, and inform employees of key information about the customers including if they suffer from infectious or mental diseases.

In addition, employees have the right to refuse offering housekeeping service when finding such service may endanger their own safety or health, according to the guideline. Companies are also required to offer training to employees at least once a year.

Considering that more than 90% of housekeeping service attendants in the province are women, the guideline requires businesses to establish trade unions in accordance with the law, set up female workers' committee, and provide screening for cervical and breast cancer once a year to women over 35 years old.

Data showed there are nearly 600,000 domestic service attendants in Jiangsu but the demand totals over one million, including a greater shortage of workers with professional skills. Due to inadequate laws and regulations, the housekeeping sector is fraught with many challenges including a complicated labour structure, lower educational level of practicers and sometimes disputes involved. Experts believe a replacement of the broking service by a staff-based system can ensure the healthy development of the housekeeping service sector.