July 26, 2019
New Legislation Would Protect Domestic Workers from Workplace Abuse
Domestic workers, like farmworkers have been overlooked, devalued, and historically excluded from crucial federal labor and civil rights laws since the days of slavery, some of which include minimum wage, overtime, and helath, safety and sick benefits. However that is changing in some states and cities, like Philadelphia, where lawmakers are fighting to secure benefits like minimum wage and paid time off for domestic workers.
On July 15th, The National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, was introduced by Sen. Kamala Harris and Rep. Pramila Jayapal. A national bill of rights would be an unprecedented win for domestic workers and their families. It would extend basic labor protections to domestic workers and send a message that the people who do this type of labor are deserving of equal rights and dignity.
“Domestic workers do the work most precious to us: Caring for our homes and loved ones. But they don’t have the basic rights and dignity they deserve. Many don’t even have written contracts and can be fired on a whim. Many domestic workers are afraid to speak up about wage theft, discrimination, and unsafe working conditions because they fear losing their jobs or being torn from their families by deportation.” Ai Jen-Poo says on NDWA’s website.
Ninety percent of the 2.5 million domestic workers are women and the overwhelming majority of them are women of color, migrants into the U.S., or both. If enacted, the legislation would bring a measure of job equity to one of the most-exploited groups of workers: Housekeepers, nannies, and home health care aids.
Provisions of the legislation include:
Bringing domestic workers under labor and civil rights laws.
Mandated paid overtime, safe and healthy working conditions, rest and meal breaks, and penalties for lawbreakers, including employers or clients who sexually harass the workers.
New protections to “address the unique challenges of domestic work,” such as mandated written agreements, fair scheduling, the wage and standards board, and support for survivors of sexual harassment.
A know-your-rights hotline and information, “co-enforcement mechanisms, and provisions to protect against retaliation.”