Messy kitchens are probably the last things that foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong want to see on Sunday evenings at the end of their weekly day off.
Several months ago, a Facebook page named “OFWs in HongKong” posted several pictures of a messy kitchen and complained that many domestic workers could not enjoy a full day of rest on Sundays. This raised the question of whether employers have the right to ask their maids to help clean up their kitchens on Sunday evenings.
According to Hong Kong’s labor law, a rest day is defined as a continuous period of not less than 24 hours during which an employee is entitled to abstain from working for his employer. However, some employers try to impose their own interpretations on this rule.
An old post on Baby-kingdom.com, a popular website for married couples in Hong Kong, initiated a discussion with the question, “What if your new domestic worker says she is entitled to have one 24-hour rest day per week?”
A lot of employers agreed that they did not have the right to ask their maids to clean up messy kitchens on Sunday evenings, but many of them admitted that they expected that their domestic workers to do so “voluntarily.”
Some said that if domestic workers didn’t do so on Sunday evening, they would have to get up earlier on Monday morning to wash the dishes. Some others said the 24-hour rest day could start from 9pm on Saturday and end on 9pm on Sunday.
Some employers also said they felt unhappy when a new domestic worker tried to “threaten” them by mentioning the labor law. Others said they could ask their maids to rest on a weekday, instead of Sunday.
Some netizens, however, spoke up for the domestic workers by stating a simple fact: No one wants to work on holidays.
Relate much.tas may gana p silang magalit pag umuwi ako 7:30-8..takenote curfew k 9
I don’t think only SOME of hongkong employer does those,but MOST employer only read the law that written on the contract without doing so.And the worse part is that this isn’t secret anymore but the government doesn’t seem care towards this matter.Is it because we just domestic helper or that they are making law just to show a concern on paper!
It will reflect on their own personality..the most tiring moment when you go back and saw that kind of situation all your senses will be down..you are not even happy to see their faces.
No one is above the HK law but when it comes to Labor law for domestics helpers many employers are above the given law. Its very clear on the guide book for hiring domestic helpers their given rights that off days should not be manipulated by the employer and its a non working day unless by mutual agreement. But for my 8years here in HK, reality sets in many employers don’t really abide by the law. it can’t be said that they are ignorant, the reason behind is greed- they always want their moneys worth like i hire and pay you what i say you follow….so they imposed their own rule to get their helper working on statutory days and their regular holidays and even work for long hours . Another thing is Laziness- they don’t want to look after their kids or don’t want to clean after the mess or clutter that their kids did. They hate even to help their kids do their homework- they say kunyang do that and when kunyang get wrong they got mad. And what irritates me most is their lame excuse when you tell them to teach their kids good manners or atleast tidy up their their toys and hang their towels after bath not just throw on the floor- employers would react like you should be doing that job and i pay you…wow huh! thats why their kids are brats and lazy because even the easiest chore they are taught not to do. So when helper goes off day, she will definitely got home to see a pile of clutter and a lot of dishes not washed nor tidy up….. tsktsktsk
True
Correct, they don’t have the right to ask you to do some work during our days off, wait for the next working day, not unless they’re paying me above minimum salary, i can give consideration.
i think that’s a good suggestion, Sir. i myself before, my employer asked me to wash the clothes sundy morning b4 going out, then in the evening coming back from holiday, everything is messy in the kithen, the pots, wok on the floor, last thing to do b4 taking shower was that sweep the floor & throw their rubbish, at least, when i finished my contract, i find a new one, western family, not messy & not fuzzy compared to the previous one, haaaayyyy, life in Hongkong,. like a roller coaster!
this picture was taken in my day off and also i need tide up the bed room, i too tired for making argue with employer
.. 9 PM Saturday to 9 PM Sunday? .. Did they considered then that Saturday is a part of Sunday when it’s stated that the maid’s holiday falls on Sunday? Employers better educate their selves what HOLIDAY really means…and difference of Saturday and Sunday . they have their own jobs too and do they need to go to work on holidays? Lot of employers were too selfish that they cant even give the rights of their maids on their rest day.. Where’s humanity in this kind of situation?
i don’t do house work on my rest day…..unless i want to do it myself …My Employer have no right to ask to do so
I’m rest at 24 hours during my day off even the kitchen is full of dishes need to wash wait me for Monday morning.
Not only some but many employers especially Chinese employers impose their own interpretation on day off/rest day.
They would ask their helpers to clean the house or prepare breakfast if not both before leaving in the morning and or when the helper returns at night they ask them to do washing, ironing and tidy up the kitchen and even give the kids a bath.
It shouldn’t be like this because helpers need 24 day off.
Good job sa nag post nito
for me im new to my employer..i need to work till 10 am and come back 7 pm….i ask them if i can stay out cause they did not give me a space to keep my belongings..im not allowed to keep my wash clothes in bathroom.either hing outside window..so difficult..hope government will do something..even
Lon Castro pwede m namang ireklamo kng ganyan.nag pasahod nila sau..against the law yan…dapat my pinipirmahan ka ng resibo na ganun ang sinasahod m…baka mademanda pa amo m kng mapatunayan.na kulang nag.pinapasahod sau
For me working on my holiday is just common sense, if you willing to do it, just do it, if not so you not need to do it, my employer before ask me to do this and that before holiday and back from holiday, Sure make me unhappy and explain to them that is my holiday so they have no right to ask me to do anything.
But in the end me my self don’t like and feel uncomfortable when there stil mess ????????
So it’s fine for me and I do it as my own willingness ????
Yes… they have point maid can rest… if they dont want to do after they come back from off..for me as being helper i will do it voluntarily on sunday…But employers must have consideration to make a little bit tidy…pile it nice…most employers says…clean it … clean that.. clean this.. tidy up this one or that one..but why they cant do it on their dishes on sunday..even not wash but pile it nicely…if your messy it means your untidy..and not really clean your just preyending you are…all we need is just a consideration pile all the dishes in sink .. not in floor or anywhere… thats it…
Bakit ka pumapayag kapatid,Pero Kong bukal sa puso mo gawin ok Lang NASA iyo yon..
Thanks, yun nga eh, they should revised they rules regarding hiring a helper/s. Because most of the employer are so abusive of their powers. Though even if the Hongkong Goverment implement new rules still the employer is the one who disobey. They knew that helpers should work only on the given add or work place still they will asked the helpers to work for their relatives. Its time to make change. Even if they raised the salary of the helpers, the employer will demand the working hours. So annoying
my employer never ask me to do any work before I go out on my off day or after I came back home. but I do some cleaning after I come back and take care their baby. on the night before my off day I always ask them wether they will go out also on my off day. if they say they will go out I’ll prepare all the things for the baby. because my employer is so nice. they treat me like their own family and as for me I treat them the same. we just like a family????????????????