Hong Kong Employers Invited to Allow Domestic Workers Air Conditioning Amid Heatwave

Domestic workers in Hong Kong are routinely prohibited from turning on air conditioning while working alone at home, according to union leaders calling for a relaxation of the ban during extreme heat. The issue emerged last week after an employer faced online backlash for reprimanding her domestic helper for using the air conditioner an hour earlier than household rules permitted amid the city’s intense heatwave. The Hong Kong Observatory warned that high temperatures will persist throughout the week, with an “extremely hot” forecast for Friday, reaching up to 35 °C (95 °F) in urban areas. The forecaster released its third “very hot weather” warning signal this week on Tuesday morning and advised residents to stay hydrated, even indoors. The agency recommended that, in the absence of air conditioning, windows should remain open and fans employed as far as possible to ensure adequate indoor ventilation. Recently, the forecaster recorded six consecutive “hot nights” – where the minimum temperature stays above 28 °C (82.4 °F) – marking the longest such streak for May. Temperatures peaked at 36.7 °C in the New Territories on Friday.

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