Employer criticized over air-con dispute during 33.7 degrees Hong Kong heat

A Hong Kong employer has drawn widespread criticism online after reportedly scolding her domestic helper for switching on an air-conditioner one hour earlier than household rules allowed during a spell of intense summer heat.

The incident surfaced in a viral social media post, shared as temperatures in the city reached 33.7 degrees, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

The employer allegedly set house rules permitting air-conditioner use only between 10pm and 6am. However, she later discovered that the helper had returned to her room at around 9pm after completing chores and turned on the cooling unit.

In the post, she reportedly confronted the worker, suggesting she could remain in the living room—already air-conditioned—instead of using the bedroom earlier than permitted. She also objected to the early usage on the grounds of electricity costs, framing adherence to household rules as a matter of “respect.”

The post quickly went viral, attracting more than a thousand comments within hours. The majority of responses criticized the employer as overly strict and insensitive given the extreme heat of 33.7 degrees, with many arguing that air-conditioning is a basic necessity under such conditions.

Some users also calculated that the additional electricity cost of running an air-conditioner for an hour in a typical Hong Kong household would be minimal, suggesting the reaction was disproportionate.

Separately, online users resurfaced earlier comments allegedly made by the same employer in an unrelated discussion about domestic workers, further fueling criticism and accusations of a pattern of harsh treatment.

The employer has not publicly responded to the backlash, and the original post remains online.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓