“Rest Room” design for foreign domestic workers causes furor among netizens

“Rest Room” design for foreign domestic workers causes furor among netizens

Would you dare to sleep or rest inside?

 A photo posted on Chinese social media, Xiaohongshu, sparked heated discussions about a “restroom” for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong.

 With a price tag of HK$10,000, this controversial design has a “room” on top of a storage cabinet.

 A ladder has been built on the side to access the ‘room’, which is a narrow and elongated box.

 The resting area measures just 68.5 cm wide, 95 cm in height, and about 19 cm in length. It does not have any windows since the sides are attached almost completely to the ceiling. A small ventilation hole is created with a grille at the entrance for airflow.

 In addition, a showroom of the design is available in Hong Kong while the factory is in Guangdong. The company specializes in custom-designed furniture for homes in Hong Kong.

 Concerned citizens were quick to point out the inhumane conditions of the design.

 Others questioned the manufacturers whether they have any remorse for creating it.

 Some posted words like “heartless,” “narrower than a coffin,” and “dog cage.”

 In Hong Kong where space is of utmost prime real estate, some argued that providing a space for domestic workers is a luxury since other workers have had to sleep in cramped conditions or even on the floor without a bed.

 According to a report in 2021 by the Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW), there is a continuing problem of unsuitable accommodation for migrant domestic workers under mandatory live-in arrangements.

 The research revealed how 1 in every 50 MDWs sleep in areas like toilets, storage rooms, stock rooms or warehouses, backdoors, basements, balconies, roofs, computer rooms, study rooms, music rooms, closets, dressing rooms, or in a room with just a divider for their sleeping space.