A message on social media questioning the holiday arrangements for domestic workers in Hong Kong has drawn a lot of criticism.
A netizen named Suki posted a message on a Facebook group called “Support Group for HK Employers with Foreign Domestic Helpers” on Monday that questioned why foreign maids whose traditions do not oblige them to go tomb-sweeping on the Ching Ming Festival can still enjoy a one-day holiday, Oriental Daily reported.
This year’s Ching Ming Festival, when Chinese people traditionally go to clean and sweep the graves of their ancestors, falls on April 5. Ching Ming is one of the 12 statutory holidays in Hong Kong that domestic workers are entitled to enjoy.
Suki complained that she would not be able to take her young children to go tomb-sweeping and there would be no one to take care of them because her maid would have the day off.
She said that as foreign workers did not have any ancestors to worship at the festival, how could it be that they still enjoy the day off and go partying with their friends?
One netizen advised Suki to ask her domestic worker to swap the holiday for a different day. Suki said her maid at first refused to make such a swap, but after negotiation, she finally agreed to rearrange her holiday.
Many netizens slammed Suki’s message and accused her of being a mean employer. Some said she should not have Christmas holidays if she is not a Christian.
One netizen lamented that once some Hongkongers hire a domestic worker, they start behaving like landlords or capitalists who like exploiting workers.
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Are you really complaining? or just plain attention seeker! because you should know before hiring one domestic helper from abroad everything what’s in the contract, you should not sign any contract if you don’t agree of all its content. So complaining is purely stupidity.
Suki..Suki…Suki
Listen you Suki…your problem is not so big….best thing you do is..STAY AT HOME..TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN..DO YOUR HOUSEHOLD..AND ACT AS A MOTHER OF YOUR FAMILY…OK..???….YOUR IDIOT YOU KNOW..!!!
BETTER FOR YOU IS NOT TO HIRE A DOMESTIC HELPER…
YOU ARE ONE OF THE.." SALOT " IN HK EMPLOYERS SOCIETY….AS**** !!!!!
So that means we can also have our offday on holidays like easter because we all filipinos are c3lebrating it we can also have the November 1 holiday prior to our beloved one who is in heaven..u don’t deserved to have a helper because of ur attitude…u can switch the off day for her but u dont need to questioned why we need to enjoy our holiday.ask questioned to the one who give us holiday here in hk…Ur so funny
Why not hire a part time helper during that time to take care of your kids so you yourself can clean the place of your love ones, or ask your helper to do it and give her an overtime pay. The problem with you is your being hypocrit. You call it your love ones but you want your maid to do it, you don’t even show any simple adorable gesture to your so-called love ones if it’s really so a love ones. I hope you don’t try to ask your maid change your husband’s underware. Or give him company everywhere because you’re too busy. Think
Jovy Fernandez Peren complain sa 1 day then bakit di nila nalang palitan ung Easter, na dapat me holiday tayo sa easter diba?
the helper is not your property …
do not hire a maid if cannot follow the rules and by laws…you have a very bad attitude …
You can make arrangement if you need your maid on that day April 5, you can pay her on that day coz you using the Statuary Holiday, Law is the law. Or swap the other day that she can go out.
actually she can visit the tomb 1 day before…and why not bring her kids to respect thier ancestor?and we all know most of the chinese are not christian and why they enjoying the christmas holiday?
If you have question ask the hk immigration the reason and you might be enlighten with their answer, without a helper is quite difficult for employers to do things on their own , so employers be nice to your helpers whatever nationalities they have , give them respect n treat them nice as well because helpers are human too not a robot that u dictate everything for them , maybe you should ask yourself what is the meaning of the root word help, by then you will come into your senses and change the way you treat your helper, thank you miss zuki, whoever you are , have a lovely, day ma’am
public holiday is hiking day for me ????????????✌✌✌
Well actually my boss also said why you not holiday on holy week and have holiday on ching ming which is not related to your religion as a Christian.I just smile and say don’t know…might have ask Labor Dept.?
haha ksi nmn mga ibang amo may ktulong lng akla mo la n tlga tayo kraptan dpt mgreklmo sya s gobyerno nla pnkita lng msama ugli nya…tsek tsek
To you madam Suki, if holidays to be given to
OFWs are based on cultures and traditions, why are christian OFWs not given the privelege to have holidays on holy week when these days are mainly for Christians?
Absolutely right
And why do they have holidays during Easter,yet some of the employers aren’t Christians either?ang sabihin nyo mga employers trabho lng ang gusto nyo s mga katulong nyo,which is true some employers are abusive to their helpers.
Then why the domestic helper doesnt have holy week holiday specially for the christian?
So according to this nasty piece of work, no one who isn’t HK Chinese should have a break. And that includes mainlanders, French, Brits, Indians, Aussies, Japanese, Americans, ………
huh my dear madam employer Zuki… ive been working here hongkong for 23yrs.. but this is my first time.. i heard or read an employer struggling the ching ming festival statutory for the foreign domestic helper.. you can give a notice to your foreign that agreeing to swap it in other day because you her… soo simple..if you are good boss then your helper good to you also in return..that is a very good mutual between employer and the helper. simpke as that. thanks
Take the Ching Ming… But give us the Easter Holidays!!!????
Easter is International Holiday but we’re not entitled of that☹