By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-22 03:16:32 | Updated at 2025-01-22 06:41:12
3 hours ago
A Filipino helper diagnosed with cancer was allegedly fired by her employers and kicked out of their flat after they found out about her chemotherapy treatment, prompting her to file a complaint with Hong Kong’s equality watchdog.
Noelyn Patricio Arzaga, a 39-year-old breast cancer patient, has sought help from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) for claims against her former employers, who allegedly breached the Disability Discrimination Ordinance by terminating her employment last August after she decided to go for the treatment against their wishes.
Arzaga said she was asked by her female employer to forgo chemotherapy, which her doctor had recommended to shrink the size of the tumour, and instead undergo surgery to remove the breast.
Her employer preferred her to have surgery because she wanted Arzaga to continue working rather than stay in bed for days after each chemotherapy session.
The helper followed the employer’s wish and proceeded with the operation last June, but eventually learned from the doctor that chemotherapy was still inevitable even after surgery.
Choosing her life over the employers’ request, she agreed to the treatment. But she said she did not expect she would be kicked out of the employers’ home.
