Keep the wage payment record and acknowledgment
The Labour Department says wages should be paid at least monthly, within seven days after the wage period ends. It advises keeping wage payment records and a written acknowledgment regardless of payment method.
Source: Labour Department: foreign domestic helper employer responsibilities
A practical five-step workflow
Agree what period is being recorded before comparing totals. Review the helper’s current terms and the actual events used for the statement.
- Prepare the statement with salary, applicable food allowance and clearly described agreed adjustments.
- List helper reimbursements separately; exclude vendor costs from the helper’s amount payable.
- Finalize the reviewed version and retain its original PDF.
- Record each actual payment with date, amount, method and reference; check any outstanding balance.
- Obtain and retain an acknowledgment that clearly refers to the amount and date actually received.
Illustrative full-month record: HK$7,216 payable
Maria Santos is fictional. This example uses an agreed HK$5,500 monthly salary and an illustrative agreed extra payment; HK$300 is not a statutory rest-day or holiday rate.
| Component | HKD amount | Record meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Agreed salary | 5,500.00 | Wage component |
| Cash food allowance | 1,236.00 | Applicable recorded arrangement |
| Agreed rest-day work extra | 300.00 | Manually reviewed agreed wage extra |
| Wage subtotal | 7,036.00 | Before helper reimbursement |
| Approved helper reimbursement | 180.00 | Separate from wages |
| Amount payable to helper | 7,216.00 | Statement total |
| Ticket paid directly to vendor | 2,400.00 | Employer cost, excluded from helper payable |
If only part of the total has been paid
Against the illustrative HK$7,216 statement, an actual HK$5,000 payment leaves HK$2,216 outstanding. Record the HK$5,000 as paid; do not mark the full statement received because a PDF was downloaded or a scan was uploaded.
A signature scan is retained evidence. The pilot does not independently verify the signer’s identity, the bank transfer or the legal sufficiency of the wording. If the acknowledgment is disputed, keep that status visible.
Correct the record without overwriting the original
Retain the original statement, payment entries and signed evidence. Create a separately linked correction explaining the changed amount and reason. Do not move an earlier payment onto the new correction.
A negative correction requires review. It is not evidence that money has been recovered and does not authorize a deduction from a later salary.
Good questions deserve clear answers.
Can a signed statement prove the full total has been paid?
The statement total and the actual amount received may differ. Use payment entries and an acknowledgment that identifies the amount and date received, and review any discrepancy.
Are travel vendor costs included in helper wages?
A vendor payment and a reimbursement to the helper have different recipients. Keep vendor costs outside the helper’s payable amount and identify a reimbursement separately from wages.
Is the generated PDF a legally certified salary receipt?
No. It records the reviewed inputs and amounts. The pilot’s document wording and unsupported payroll cases require review; generation is not legal certification.
Sources & review dates
Official sources were checked on the dates below. Later changes and individual cases may require a fresh review.
- Labour Department: foreign domestic helper employer responsibilitiesChecked 5 October 2026