Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam. Photo: Google Maps
Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam. Photo: Google Maps

A Filipino maid who refused to renew her contract with her Hong Kong employers was reportedly forced to overwork and eventually fell ill with tuberculosis.

In September, the domestic worker named Warren B told her employers that she would not renew her contract because of her unfavorable health situation, sunwebhk.com reported, without disclosing her age.

Her employers then started increasing her workload, telling her that she had to finish all of her work before going to bed.

Most days, she was unable to get any sleep until 3am and had to get up just a few hours later. The earliest time she was able to get to bed was 11pm. She became exhausted by her heavy workload and lack of sleep.

On October 15, a fellow domestic worker noticed Warren had difficulty breathing, was coughing frequently and had a high fever. She took Warren to Queen Mary Hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with tuberculosis.

After suffering from high fever and coughing for 10 days, she was transferred to Grantham Hospital in Aberdeen on October 25. She was confined to the hospital until her health improved.

She received medical treatment for a month and was finally able to leave the hospital on November 14. With her employment contract now expired, she could finally return to her home in Cebu in the Philippines, which she did immediately after being given clearance that she was fit to travel.

In Hong Kong, employers or employees are required to give a one-month notice if they want to terminate an employment contract or the contract is going to expire.

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