New regulations for domestic service sector

Shanghai has issued new regulations for the domestic service industry to guarantee the legal rights of both customers and employees.

They come into force on May 1. 

A comprehensive management platform for domestic services was brought online for trial run on Monday. It has already collected basic information of over 270,000 workers and 409 institutions offering services.

The platform provides basic information and credit records of companies and employees in the industry which is easily accessible by the public, who can submit their reviews of companies or practitioners.

Authorities can use the platform to enhance monitoring and regulations with information about staff, supply and demand, service contracts, as well as direct feedback from customers. 

The platform’s website address is http://183.194.244.68/w. People can also search for information and reviews via a mobile app or the Suishenban Citizen Cloud’s WeChat mini program.

City authorities are promoting the development of domestic service industry in various aspects including skills training, talent cultivation, physical check-ups, commercial insurance and financial support.

The Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, for instance, has incorporated a professional competence training and appraisal project in domestic service into the catalogue of subsidies for vocational training, and has increased subsidies for training fees of projects in urgent need. In 2019, 22,900 people were trained in domestic service and maternal and newborn care.

The education commission, meanwhile, has directed Shanghai Open University and Shanghai Aurora College to set up specialized majors in domestic service and expand enrollment, and to carry out academic re-education and technical skills training.

The new regulations also clarify that domestic workers can earn points with which they can apply for residence permits in accordance, so as to motivate employees to pursue education and training, and thus promote high-quality development of the industry.