Preparing a clear daily task list for your foreign domestic worker is the first step toward building a good employer-employee relationship—and it’s a skill that takes some practice. If the list is too vague, the worker won’t know what to do; if it’s too demanding, it can easily lead to friction. This article will break down in detail how to prepare a reasonable and clear chore list, with a particular focus on arrangements during the adjustment period for new domestic workers, to help you build a harmonious employer-employee relationship.
The First Step Before the Preparation Checklist: Initial Communication with the Foreign Domestic Worker
Before a foreign domestic worker officially starts work, it’s more important to hold a detailed orientation session than to simply hand them a list of tasks.
Key Communication Points and Methods
- Family members should first reach a consensus: Before hiring a domestic worker, all family members should discuss the domestic worker’s responsibilities (for example, whether the primary focus will be caring for the elderly or sharing household chores) and decide which family member will serve as the primary point of contact responsible for communicating with the domestic worker, in order to avoid confusion regarding instructions.
- Hands-on demonstrations and explanations: A simple text-based checklist may be difficult for new domestic workers to understand. It is recommended that employers personally demonstrate the standards for household chores at home (e.g., kitchen cleaning requirements, how to fold laundry) and clearly explain the details of each task and the placement of household items to the domestic worker.
- Two-Way Communication and Confirmation: After explaining everything, encourage the domestic worker to ask questions to ensure she fully understands your expectations and your family’s routines. Some agencies suggest that employers prepare a bilingual (Chinese-English) checklist—or one with illustrations—and regularly check in with the worker during the first week to see how she is adjusting.
Principles for Preparing a Daily To-Do List
A well-organized to-do list helps domestic workers clearly understand the priorities of their daily tasks.
1. Prioritize tasks
Employers may set priorities for household tasks based on their family’s needs. For example, core tasks such as caring for infants or the elderly should be given top priority, while general household chores should come second. The following classification can serve as a reference:
- Core care (primarily provided by family members, with assistance from domestic workers): such as taking the elderly person’s blood pressure, administering medication, and accompanying them to medical appointments.
- Household assistance (can be fully delegated): such as cooking and daily cleaning.
2. Specify the job description
Avoid using vague instructions such as “Take good care of the baby” or “Keep things clean,” as these can easily lead to misunderstandings. Instead, provide specific instructions, such as:
- "8:00 a.m.: Change the baby's diaper and prepare 150 milliliters of formula"
- "Help the elderly use the restroom once every two hours"
3. Schedule Flexibility
The work schedule should not be too tightly packed, with every 15 minutes strictly assigned to a specific task, as this can put immense pressure on the domestic worker. You should ensure that the domestic worker has ample time to handle household chores and sufficient time to rest. The schedule should list tasks and estimated time frames, allowing domestic workers the flexibility to set their own pace.
Adjustment Period for New Foreign Domestic Workers: Never Delegate All Tasks "All at Once"
It is especially important to allow for an adjustment period when a foreign domestic worker is coming to Hong Kong for the first time, or when they are required to care for infants or the elderly. If a foreign domestic worker is faced with an overwhelming list of tasks right upon arrival, the excessive stress and inability to adjust can easily lead to communication misunderstandings and even damage the relationship between both parties.
Suggested Schedule for the Adjustment Period
1. First Two Days: Rest and Adjustment: Domestic workers are usually quite tired when they first arrive in Hong Kong and need to adjust to the time difference. It is recommended to give her one to two days to settle in, unpack her luggage, familiarize herself with the home environment, and rest to regain her strength. During this time, you can briefly explain the household rules and daily routines.
2. First Two to Three Months: Take It Step by Step: It is generally recommended to give domestic workers a 3- to 4-month adjustment period. In the beginning, let her master the most basic household chores (such as cleaning, laundry, and ironing). Once she is familiar with these, gradually teach her more complex tasks (such as specific procedures for caring for infants and precautions to take when accompanying the child to medical appointments).
3. Regular Check-ins and Adjustments: During the first week or month after a foreign domestic worker starts work, employers are advised to hold brief check-ins with the worker at regular intervals to review their performance. Offer praise for areas of strength, and for areas needing improvement, patiently provide guidance or demonstrate the correct procedure again.
Summary and Practical Recommendations
- Make Good Use of Visual Aids: To help domestic workers who do not speak Chinese, you can create a work schedule with illustrations. Once the tasks are completed, have her “check off the boxes” to keep track—it’s simple and easy to understand.
- Maintain Open Communication: Employers should communicate frequently with family members to avoid making conflicting requests that leave the domestic worker confused.
- Avoid rushing the process: Foreign domestic workers need time to adjust to their new environment, and their ability to learn varies from person to person. Employers should provide patient guidance and refrain from scolding or hitting them, in order to build a foundation of mutual trust.
By following the checklist above and keeping these tips for the adjustment period in mind, you can effectively minimize misunderstandings, help your domestic worker integrate into your family more quickly, and turn them into a valuable ally in your daily life.
Planning Children's Activities and Preparing Meals: How to Divide Tasks and Work Together with Your Domestic Helper
In the daily to-do list, organizing children’s activities and meal preparation are often the two areas where domestic workers most need clear guidance. Different families have different approaches to managing these tasks, and there is no absolute right or wrong way; the key lies in whether employers can clearly articulate their expectations and establish effective communication channels with their domestic workers. The following provides specific recommendations for these two tasks.
Children's Activity Schedule: Safety First, Step-by-Step Approach
If a foreign domestic worker is responsible for caring for children, the job description should clearly outline the guidelines for organizing children’s activities, rather than simply stating “play with the children.”
Core Principles:
- Safety First: Clearly list activities that are strictly prohibited in the task list (e.g., do not leave children home alone; do not allow children near open flames in the kitchen; always supervise children when they are playing in water).
- Suggested Activity Types: Suggest activities can be listed by time slot, for example:
- Morning: Outdoor activities at the park (slides, swings), singing nursery rhymes, and storytelling
- Afternoon: Quiet activities such as drawing, building with blocks, and doing puzzles
- To avoid excessive screen time (such as watching TV or using a tablet), set a clear time limit (for example, no more than 30 minutes per day).
Regarding Autonomy in Activities:
- Some employers like to plan their weekly schedules in advance and even purchase teaching materials or worksheets for their domestic workers to follow.
- Some employers, on the other hand, prefer to allow domestic workers to make flexible arrangements based on the children’s mood that day, providing only basic safety guidelines and activity resources (such as books and toys) and leaving the rest up to the domestic workers’ creativity.
Employers should clearly explain their expectations during the initial conversation. For example: “I’d like you to take the child to the park downstairs once a day. The rest of the time, you can arrange quiet activities based on his interests, but he shouldn’t watch TV for more than half an hour.” This approach gives the domestic worker some autonomy while ensuring she knows exactly what is expected of her.
Cooking Preparation: A Comparison of Two Management Styles
Cooking is one of the areas where disagreements most frequently arise in the work of domestic workers. Employers may choose one of the following two management approaches based on their own schedule and preferences, and clearly specify their choice in the job description.
Option 1: Provide guidance and let the domestic worker search for recipes on their own (YouTube/cookbooks)
Ideal for: Employers who are busy with work and don’t want to spend time planning menus every day, but who have certain expectations regarding taste and dishes.
The task list can include:
- "Prepare three dishes and one soup every day, focusing on light, healthy meals with less oil and salt."
- "Cook fish at least twice a week and vegetables at least three times a week; for meat, alternate between pork, beef, and chicken."
- "You can check out YouTube or the cookbooks I've provided for recipe ideas, and feel free to ask me for advice before trying out a new dish."
Advantages: It fosters the foreign domestic worker’s initiative and cooking skills; it saves the employer time. Risks: If the dishes the foreign domestic worker selects do not suit the employer’s taste, or if the ingredients are not properly combined, it can easily lead to waste and disappointment.
Option 2: Provide detailed instructions specifying the dishes for each meal
Suitable for: Employers with strict dietary requirements (e.g., nutritious meals for children, soft meals for the elderly, or family members with allergies to certain ingredients), or situations where the domestic helper has limited cooking experience.
The task list can include:
- Monday Dinner: Steamed Fish, Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage, Tomato and Egg Drop Soup
- Tuesday Lunch: Minced Meat Congee (for seniors), Pan-Fried Chicken Cutlet (for adults)
- "Please follow the recipe card I've provided, and follow the instructions for portion sizes and seasoning."
Advantages: Ensures meals meet the family’s tastes; prevents food waste; helps ensure adequate nutrition for children and the elderly. Risks: Employers must spend time planning menus in advance; domestic workers lack autonomy, which may lead to a loss of enjoyment in cooking over the long term.
A Compromise: Many experienced employers adopt a hybrid approach: on weekdays (Monday through Friday), the employer sets the menu (to ensure meals are ready after work), while on weekends, the domestic worker is free to experiment with new dishes or decide how to use the ingredients already in the refrigerator. This approach ensures consistency in daily meals while also giving the domestic helper room to learn and be creative.
Practical Tips
- Create a Grocery List: You can attach a “List of Commonly Used Groceries” to the to-do list so that the domestic worker knows what items are usually kept in the house and what needs to be purchased—and can notify the employer when supplies run low.
- Budget Control: If you allow your domestic helper to choose the menu, it is recommended that you set a weekly budget cap for groceries (e.g., 500 HKD per week) to avoid overspending.
- Keep a record of “favorite dishes”: You can work with your domestic helper to note which dishes your family enjoys most so you can make them again in the future, saving time when deciding what to cook.
- Child Activity Log: If the employer is not at home during the day, they may ask the domestic helper to keep a brief record of the child’s daily activities, food intake, and bathroom habits to help monitor the child’s well-being.
Sample Complete List of Duties (Comprehensive Version)
The following is an example of a daily task list that incorporates all of the above elements, which employers can use as a reference and adapt as needed:
| Time Slot | Work Items | Notes/Standards |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00-07:30 | Making Breakfast | As per the daily menu (see attached table) |
| 07:30-08:00 | Assist children and the elderly with getting out of bed and personal hygiene | Safety Precautions When Assisting the Elderly by Holding or Carrying Them |
| 08:00-09:00 | Taking Children to School or to the Park | In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors for storytelling. |
| 09:00-11:00 | House Cleaning (Vacuuming, Mopping, Cleaning the Bathroom) | Deep cleaning once a week (see attached schedule) |
| 11:00-12:30 | Shopping for Groceries and Preparing Lunch | Daily grocery spending should be within $150 |
| 12:30-13:30 | Lunch and Washing Dishes | Seniors need soft meals (see recipe card) |
| 13:30-15:00 | Break Time | — |
| 15:00-17:00 | Children's Activities / Spending Time with Seniors | See the attached table for event recommendations. |
| 17:00-19:00 | Preparing dinner | Feel free to look up recipes on your own, but let us know before trying out new dishes. |
| 19:00-20:00 | Dinner and Doing the Dishes | The kitchen stove should be cleaned daily. |
| After 8:00 p.m. | Fold clothes, prepare ingredients for tomorrow's breakfast | Afterward, there will be free time. |
Properly planning children’s activities and meal preparation not only ensures that the household runs smoothly but also allows domestic workers to find satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in their work. The key lies in “being clear, allowing flexibility, and communicating regularly”—clearly expressing boundaries and expectations while granting appropriate autonomy, and regularly communicating to make adjustments. Only in this way can a truly mutually trusting and supportive employer-employee relationship be established.
