Many households are failing to take out insurance for accidents happening to their domestic helpers because most believe there is little chance of an accident, a recent survey has found.
The survey, conducted by the Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau, asked more than 9,300 families in the city's four downtown districts - Jing'an, Changning, Xuhui and Putuo - about their attitude toward the domestic helper insurance.
The survey found 91 percent local families had heard about the insurance from the media, community employment assistants or their friends.
But 60 percent said they had no intention of buying insurance for their ayis, the Chinese term for domestic helper. Only 10 percent had bought it, while 30 percent were undecided.
Initiated by the bureau and two insurance companies, the insurance costs 30 yuan (US$3.61) for one year's coverage, with beneficiaries entitled to claim up to 100,000 yuan for cases involving work-related accidents.
Only employers rather than the housemaids themselves have the right to apply for the insurance.
Since it was introduced on July 1, only 20,000 families have purchased the insurance.
Sheng Zuhuan, deputy chief at the bureau's employment division, said the survey showed there was little knowledge of the insurance in the community.
About 42 percent of respondents said that the chances of an accident was slim. Another 34 percent said they would consider taking out the insurance after changing ayis.
"It's not worth paying insurance for an ayi I don't know well because I need watch her performance," said housewife Liu Yufei.
Sheng said this is a typical misunderstanding by employers, who believe the insurance is designed to protect ayis rather than themselves.
This week, Xuhui District People's Court ruled Lin Lingzhu, a local employer, pay 70,000 yuan compensation for the accidental death of her ayi, who hurt her hip in a cleaning accident and died from blood loss.
"If Lin had bought the insurance, she would have been free from any compensations and the victim's family could also have got 100,000 yuan, rather than 70,000 yuan," Sheng said.