An employer surnamed Wong faced a storm of criticism online from people in Hong Kong after saying she turned off the air-conditioner in her domestic worker’s room at night because the maid did not ask for permission to use the machine.
Wong said in post on a Facebook group called “Hong Kong Employers of Foreign Domestic Workers Mutual Help Association” she found her maid had put on the air-con without her consent at 1am on Wednesday. Wong said she switched it off and opened the door for ventilation.
At 4am, the woman then found that her maid had closed the door and turned the machine on again.
Wong said she was furious, adding that the maid had not turned the air-con on earlier when the weather was hot prior to a typhoon. She said her maid used to ask her before using the air-cooler.
Read: Heatstrokes reported amid hot weather, poor air quality
Wong told the online group she had originally planned to let her maid use the air-con at night after a three-month probation period but had now decided to remove the socket and put a lock on it.
Wong described her domestic worker as “audacious” – and asked other employers if they let their maids “enjoy” air-con in their rooms.
Wong then faced heavy criticism from other employers, who said she was harsh, cruel and penny-pinching.
Netizens, who saw a screen-cap picture of Wong’s post on other Facebook groups, said employers should not treat their domestic workers like slaves. They said Wong was mean, because she could afford to hire a domestic worker but would not to pay an electricity bill.
Read: Catholic newspaper slams government for ignoring maids’ rights
Her post was then blocked by the administrator of the employers’ Facebook page. Wong then posted another message to reopen the discussion; she wanted to know how many employers allowed their domestic workers to use air-con every day in summer.
She said she had treated her maid well by offering her a room with five windows, a double bed and a fan.
Netizens suggested she should sleep in that room if it was so good. Others said Wong was making trouble for herself as her maid would be unable to do her job well without a good night’s sleep.
Betty Yung, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Employers of Overseas Domestic Helpers Association, said employers should be more considerate to the needs of domestic workers, instead of being harsh toward them.
Read: Charity urges better accommodation for Hong Kong maids
dito sa amo ko pag wala mga anak niya d pwede gumamit ng aircon….subrang inis makailang palit ka ng damit
what an stupid mind you have mr. employer? asking permission of using or turning on aircon in your maids room is not a big deal. Why installing it there for what?for decoration? in this kind of weather your maid need it badly.Do you think you maid need it in winter season? common please use your common sense treat your maid as human.
Yah like me to no aircon in my room so i sacrifice in my warm room
Once you are hire someone to work with you,should you understand that she /he can have right to use anything because she /he are human too. You afford to pay the salary but if your treatment is like a whore let the helper leave or terminate and do your household alone. Never hire if your heart and soul are darkened! Degrading and descrimination is the top problem of the Domestic helper. I don’t really understand why you hire someone and treated like a whore. Lucky are those who are in the good hands of employer.
We came here to work. We sacrificed a lot. You pay us for our service. It is our responsibility to make your life a lot easier, we get paid for it and we are forever grateful. But please give us respect also. We, too, are people just less fortunate than you are. Treat us well and we will treat you like kings and queens. A little kindness and respect is all we ask. Please be good to us.
Ang aarte nyo naman. Hindi lahat ng tao naaafford mag aircon. Kung gusto nyo ng luxury accommodation, matulog kayo sa hotel. Hindi porket mai domestic help ibig sabihin kaya mag bayad ng AC. Alamin nyo muna cost ng pag gamet ng aircon. Isa pa, kapal ng mukha nya mag on ng aircon ng walang pa alam. #commonsense #magpaalam #huwagassuming
Oh same as me i dont have aircon too and the worst thing is i have a small room and my bed is too high that i could almost kiss the light and the ceiling and take note its an orange light that made me feel really hot its like an egg inside an encubator..and guess what no windows too !! So everynight no good sleep ..but of course you cant complain you cant do anything but to get use to it ,,and wish for winter to come …but the good side is during winter my room is the best place to stay ,,warm!! ��
Eto nmn sken..bago mag summer binilhan ako ng wall fan..kht meron nyan s room use ko…hndi agad naikabit nung minsan nhirapan ako mtulog..sabi bk pwede nmn buksan nlng ang bintana..hndi man lng nag offer si amo gmitin pnsamantla hbng hndi p naikabit un binili..so alam na..ayaw ggmit aircon… last week lng…aftr anim na buwan.11pm…go to sleep nko. …sinabi ni madam pwde ko dw gmitin hngng alas dose ng gabi..���..no way nlng..mag aalarm ako pra ioff lng un��..salamat nlng s 2 o isang oras na offer nya..khirap kya nun..nahanap mo na antok mo.. gigisingin mo sarili mo pra mag off ng aircon ??��..no thnx nlng..mkkatiis nmn s electric fan…d bale…15 months nlng..nktapos nko 9mons…wheeew..nkkaraos.kht pano
Not all the employers is good….palagi lng cla gumagawa ng sariling nlang gulo para mapaalis nla ang katulong…what is the first reason you hired a domestic worker kung wla naman kayong tiwala?di ba! And can you threat them well also because we are not a slave or a robot…we are a human being kagaya sa inyo at dapat nga amgpasalamat kayo kc may tumutulong sa inyo..paano kayo makagawa kung wla kayong katulong?
My employer allowed me to used the aircon, but for me even if it’s fan or just open the window overnight, it is okay with me, if the weather is too hot, I will turn on the aircon, and if my room is cold already then I will turn off the aircon.
culture is different…my mother in law (Chinese ) comes to my house and messing with my AC to save money…me being american…and pay the bill, I always leave it on…all day, everyday and cold.
Ok at least my employer is very good and very understanding coz today very hot you will be suffocate or hipper tension you will be the one who will suffer if your maid something happen rogth
what a selfish employer!
Kahit nman ako maglupasay sa reklamo sa init ng malakabaong Kong tulogan wla akong magagawa kondi magtiis..need work need ng pera sigi nanlng…pag nmatay ako sa init pera parin….banyan talaga buahay katulong…mag tiis!!
Grabe namn yan. Ama ko nga gusto ako makatabi matulog eh. Pero iisa lng kmi kwrto.
how lucky you are…i have aircon in the my room but my boss did not told me to switch it on…they give me a small fan to use….if i can not take the heat as my back get sweating sometimes i turn itvon for 30 mins.withour thier consent…i don’t want to die yet.
Every night I on the air con in my room, how can you sleep w/ the room like a barbecue area? I’m thankful for my employer because she treated me as a member of the family….
We’ll my employer allowed me to use air condition on my room, because they have heart,…if they feel hot or uncomfortable because of the weather, they feel me also, so they are happy offering to use my AIRCON , treat ur helper as a human like YOU, we have FEELINGS TOO ! IF U have HEART though …..
My employer allowed me to turn on the air-con because they know the weather is so hot.. that employer is really hv a bad attitude,so selfish,,,why don’t she try herself to sleep without turning on the aircon so that she will know how it feels….crazzzyyy employer…go to hell!!
Maam betty is one of a kind employer i sallute u maam betty.we all enjoy our big spacious room and bed hoyyey.