A Filipino domestic worker was forced to sleep on a bed over two washing machines in a laundry room in Po Tak Mansion in Happy Valley in Hong Kong Island, according to a Facebook post.
The domestic worker said in the post that her bed was as long as a refrigerator and on top of two washing machines. She said she endured poor air quality in the laundry room when the machines were working.
The maid said her employers required her to return home at 7:30pm on days off to take care of their children. She also had to look after the children on holidays when her employers were out in the evening.
Worse, she said she was always emotionally abused by her employer.
“When I teach my employer’s 7-year-old child to behave and tidy up, he used the ‘F’ word and called me stupid-silly-worst helper,” she said in her post. Not surprisingly, she said she had left this employer.
Under regulations in Hong Kong, employers are required to provide a six-feet-long bed for domestic workers. However, the rules do not list more detailed requirements in regard to accommodation for workers.
Domestic workers are entitled to a 24-hour day off every week but some employers fail to meet the requirements.
The Mission For Migrant Workers (MGMW), a non-government group that services foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, has urged the city government to take action to ensure that foreign domestic workers are given proper accommodation – including a room and access to a toilet.
Read: Charity urges better accommodation for Hong Kong maids
Read: Legal challenge against live-in rule for domestic workers
I hope there is stay out if there is no comfortable place to sleep.. and please work should be 8 hours and please speacially for holiday.. we only have once a week holiday must be 24 hours required not to work the helper and there is no curfew time i hope the hongkong government should be given the employer an action if they will not follow the rules of law..
Not only accommodation but also proper food, many employers are not providing that is why food allowance must be imposed, it’s A MUST
My friend also during her off she need to clean the house cook baby food b4 she can go out mostly she go out 11 am and when comeback need to clean the house again and hand wash baby clothes b4 she sleep.hope and pray this 24 hours day off can make employer to follow .only 1 time one week we can rest why do they need us to do work b4 can go out is this fair enough?
ganyan din room ko..ksma ko washing machine at dryer
Can i share also my situation her in hongkong im firstimer working her in hongkong… My off my employer let me go 10-10:30 in the morning & she told me to comeback at exactly 6pm sharp.. when im already 3months i ask my employer about my off why not following the job order that she sign.the off is 9am to 8pm.. She shout at me and tel to terminate me..so i keep quite because i need work.. but now i see this post.. can i tel to the labor? About my situation i want to break my contrack in this employer & im leaving to the house of her mother now we already her 4months together the baby that i take care.
If my employer general manager of a big company can i complain..bcz of now i think million times b4 i step whats good for me and for the previous helper she hire it????
Some employers here in HK are not rich they are average people who hire DH for children or elderly, and mostly cant afford a big flat, though i share sentements of some flights of dh here in HK but we have also to understand their living condition specially that housing here in HK is expensive for average employers specially if both are relying on their salaries too. However there are options for DH either they will stay or find other countries to work with, as for those who wish for live out, JAPAN i guess is giving that option. As for working at your boss if the DH goes back from day off its an option if you do the work or not but theres a consequences of that, besides dh will do the work just the same the following day, 24 hours day off, Sunday off, begin at 12 midnight saturday to 12 midnight Sunday. Nevertheless should the HK GOVERNMENT can address this problem it would be good for both DH and EMPLOYERS.
I hope they take an action,to all DH here in H.k bcz,more employer is no given proper Holidays and same like me I sleep only on the small kitchen together th Cakroots,and time my Holiday is late,need to serve and cook.b4 I go.and need to coming back 8 pm bcz,serve they are dinner.
Hk goverment must have random check in every employers house if the maid has comfortable accomodation.And also check the situation of tge helper duribg thier day off..
This was happened long ago the abuses and poor accomodation like my cousin’s bed it is just a three ruler bed wide and it is like a cabinet with curtains in the other side so how she can sleep that she feel like inside the casket? The HONGKONG GOVERNMENT MUST HAVE RULES AND STRICT REGULATIONS TO THE EMPLOYERS IN HIRING A MAID. Do hope they will listen all this complains!!
Lynn Amor Chua agree aq ha ha ha
Exactly
Like this in the pic…….You got home like that……the mess is waiting for me
Hoping for the 24 hrs day off and long service should be given automatically after 6 yrs in same employer…mostly employer need to clean up and do like the working days works during there housemaid’s holidays….me myself do the house hold choirs at night from my day off…..
Khly Duran thats the big problem cause as u read my first comment i said there that i dont have enough ventalation and no windows nor aircon instead im just using only a clam fan
Irish Estimada Quinto I think before you report to the immigration regarding your small bed room you should talk first your employer to discuss about it.small bedroom is not a problem as long as you have a good ventelation inside .
I slept in the guest toilet when my boss move to bigger house, my bedroom is also a store room
Very very very pooooor mental capacity of such employer..Can not provide bed for his/her maid..What about her food? I doubt if they have regular meal for breakfast.Maybe they could eat 1 piece of bread only or a bowl of lugaw or rice porridge.. And yet a bunch of household work and baby sitting is waiting..In the Philippines we may not claim that our country’s rich but atleast we have ‘matinong’ (regular meal) breakfast. Search the google for matino..
#angry
In my opinion the best way to get rid of this kind of situation is that "THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CHECK THE HOUSE OF EVERY EMPLOYER WHO WILL HIRE A HELPER…. Before or after hiring a helper to ensure that they have a good accommodation….. IF THE GOVERNMENT REALLY WANT TO TAKE ACTION…….
Tama.mahirap din mjnsan ang stay out.