Prudential Provides Market-First “Free Overseas Domestic Helper COVID-19 Protection - Employer Cash Benefit” to Employers of 400,000 Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong and support them through the Pandemic

(24 August 2020, Hong Kong) In light of the prolonged third wave of COVID-19 infections in Hong Kong, Prudential today announced a new initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to support the community in the fight against the pandemic. Through its Pulse by Prudential (Pulse) health and wellness app, Prudential is offering extra support to employers of foreign domestic helpers with the launch of the first-in-market “Free Overseas Domestic Helper COVID-19 Protection - Employer Cash Benefit”, further demonstrating its corporate citizenship.

Hong Kong first-ever “Free Overseas Domestic Helper COVID-19 Protection - Employer Cash Benefit” provides more comprehensive support to Hong Kong families.

According to government statistics¹, there were close to 400,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong as of December 2019, a 13% increase from the end of 2016. Findings from a recent survey² by Prudential reveal an average score of 8.5 points for the importance that families attach to their domestic helpers (highest score is 10 points). Unsurprisingly, when domestic helpers go on holiday, a significant proportion of the respondents indicated the need to take annual leave to take care of their children (61%) or arrange family trips at the same time (60%), while about 44% of the respondents said they tended to dine out more often. These findings highlight the impact on the daily lives of Hong Kong families when there is a lack of domestic helper support. Given the unstable pandemic situation, if a domestic helper is unfortunately diagnosed with COVID-19, it will no doubt put additional pressure on the family.

In view of the above, from now until 25 September 2020, all eligible Pulse users residing in Hong Kong³ can enjoy the “Free Overseas Domestic Helper COVID-19 Protection - Employer Cash Benefit” by completing a simple registration via the Pulse app. If the foreign domestic helper⁴ is unfortunately diagnosed with COVID-19⁵ within the coverage period of 45 days, the employer will be offered a one-off cash payout of HK$5,000⁶. The benefit aims to subsidise any additional expenses incurred by employers, including hiring a part-time helper, and arranging additional COVID-19 testing, providing them with extra support during these challenging times.

“Domestic helpers have been playing a pivotal role in supporting families in Hong Kong. They share the burden of the housework, take care of our children and elderly at home, maintain household hygiene as well as prepare our meals. Over the years, they have been providing tremendous support to women, including myself, empowering the female workforce to develop their careers with peace of mind,” said Priscilla Ng, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of Prudential, “The severe pandemic situation in Hong Kong has brought additional worries to employers, and in recognition of this, Prudential is offering them the "Free Overseas Domestic Helper COVID-19 Protection - Employer Cash Benefit” through Pulse. This initiative underscores Prudential’s ongoing commitment in supporting the Hong Kong community through difficult times.”

Register to enjoy the protection in a few simple steps:

For more information about the benefit, please refer to the terms and conditions in the official website of Prudential Hong Kong Limited https://pruhk.co/helper

1. Statistics on the number of Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong https://data.gov.hk/en-data/dataset/hk-immd-set4-statistics-fdh.
2. A total of 204 Prudential staff and family relatives are interviewed through an online survey conducted by Prudential in August 2020.
3. The registrant shall be aged 18 or above, currently residing in Hong Kong and holding a valid Hong Kong Identity Card.
4. The covered foreign domestic helper shall be employed by the registrant and residing with the registrant in Hong Kong in the past 14 days from the date of registration and during the entire coverage period.
5. “COVID-19” refers to confirmed COVID-19 cases as defined by the World Health Organisation (“WHO”). The diagnosis must always be supported by a relevant test report. Clinical diagnosis alone does not meet this standard.
6. When the covered foreign domestic helper is diagnosed of COVID-19 within the coverage period, Prudential will pay a lump sum of HK$5,000 to the registrant. Each registrant is entitled to only one payment of the benefit under the coverage. Terms and conditions apply.

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About Pulse by Prudential

Pulse by Prudential is an all-in-one digital health app and the first-of-its-kind in the region to offer holistic health management to consumers. Using AI-powered self-help tools and real-time information, the app serves as a 24/7 health and wellness partner to users, helping them prevent, postpone, and protect against the onset of diseases. Pulse is part of Prudential’s region-wide strategy to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to everyone across Asia by leveraging digital technologies and best-in-class partnerships.

Following the regional launch of Pulse in Malaysia in August 2019, Pulse is now available in a total of 11 markets and includes a growing suite of value-add services, such as a symptom checker and health assessment, personal wellness services, and video consultations with certified doctors and specialists.

Since its launch, Pulse has been downloaded more than 8 million times (as at 11 August 2020) in Asia to date. Pulse is currently available on the Apple/Google Play stores in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

For more information, and to download Pulse, log onto www.wedopulse.com.

About Prudential Hong Kong

Prudential has been serving the people of Hong Kong since 1964. Through Prudential Hong Kong Limited and Prudential General Insurance Hong Kong Limited, we provide a range of financial planning services and products including individual life insurance, investment-linked insurance, retirement solutions, health and medical protection, general insurance and employee benefits.

Prudential plc is an Asia-led portfolio of businesses focused on structural growth markets. The business helps individuals to de-risk their lives and deal with their biggest financial concerns through life and health insurance, and retirement and asset management solutions. Prudential plc has 20 million customers and is listed on stock exchanges in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and New York.

Prudential plc is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc., a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America or with the Prudential Assurance Company, a subsidiary of M&G plc, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.

Please visit www.prudential.com.hk for more information.