Bad nannies face blacklist in Shanghai

A district of Shanghai has introduced a blacklist for nannies and housemaids who breach a new code of conduct or have a criminal record.

According to the home service industry association of Changning district, domestic workers will be banned if they provide employers with false information, such as on resumes, health records or a fake ID card.

They will also be singled out if they miss three job interviews without a suitable excuse, try to break a contract to secure a pay rise, or ask to borrow money from an employer.

Changning's code comes just weeks after a nanny in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, was accused of starting an apartment fire that killed a mother and three children. Mo Huanjing, who was charged with arson and theft, was addicted to online gambling but her motive is unknown, police said.

The incident "was pure violence and has hurt the industry badly", said Xia Jun, president of the home service industry association in Changning, which is home to more than 400 housekeeping agencies.

"We need to take preventive measures to avoid such incidents, and that's why we have developed the code," he said.

Xia said the names of those who break the code will be made available to housekeeping agencies and related associations but not to the public.

The blacklist is the first put forward by an industry association in Shanghai. It has already been applied to 50 member agencies in Changning and is to be extended to the rest next month.

The association is also looking into the criminal records of every nanny employed in the district.

"We haven't found any with a criminal background so far, but if we do, we will dismiss them or transfer them to work in a public place, such as a cleaner at a company instead of a nanny," Xia said.

Zhao Qianyun, who works at a foreign-invested company in Shanghai, said she supports the new code. "The nanny's personality and working experience is the most important for my family. The blacklist will help us find a qualified housemaid," she said.

Shanghai, home to more than 2,000 housekeeping agencies, has been introducing standards for such services since last month, including requirements for management and workers.

The city government also demands that new nannies must now present a "certificate of good conduct" or a "clean criminal record" document issued by the police as well as a recommendation letter to secure a job with a housekeeping agency.

Cao Chen contributed to this story.