The government has warned overseas job applicants against individuals or recruitment agencies hiring workers to New Zealand, but are charging and collecting excessive placement fees.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that New Zealand has opened its labor market to foreigners on a limited basis, including Filipino workers, but do not charge any placement fees.
She warned prospective applicants from dealing with these firms and report it to the Philippine overseas Employment Administration.
“This is because agencies recruiting and hiring workers and deploying them to New Zealand are prohibited from charging and collecting any fee from the workers,” Baldoz said.
She cited POEA Memorandum Circular 09 Series of 2014 reiterating the ban against agencies.
The Circular reiterates the exception contained in Section 3, Rule V, Part II of the POEA Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Land-based Overseas Workers.
“While this rule provides that a recruitment agency may charge and collect from its hired workers as placement fee an amount equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation cost, it may not do so in a prevailing system where—like in New Zealand—it is prohibited to charge or collect recruitment and placement fee either by law or practice,” she said.
Baldoz said the prohibition is contained in New Zealand’s Wages Protection Act 1983, of New Zealand laws,” Baldoz warned.