Filipino’s cancer ordeal underlines the precarious status of domestic helpers in Hong Kong
- Baby Jane Allas was fired by her employer after being diagnosed with stage-three cervical cancer, denying her access to affordable medical treatment
- Many domestic helpers in the city complain of a lack of privacy in employers’ homes and of inadequate nutrition for the work they do
Single mother Baby Jane Allas left her five children in Palawan, the Philippines in late 2017 to become a domestic worker in Hong Kong.
“It wasn’t difficult,” she says. “Not being able to put them through school was harder.”
Today, 38-year-old Allas faces another hurdle: stage-three cervical cancer.
Allas’ employer handed her the termination letter while she was on paid medical leave on February 17, but post-dated it to February 19, when she was expected to resume work. Employers who dismiss their helpers during paid sick leave face a fine of up to HK$100,000 if convicted. Allas did not sign the letter.
Late last month, she filed a complaint against her employer at the Labour Department for handing her the dismissal letter while she was on sick leave and claimed her employer committed other violations, such as not giving her one full day off each week.