There are about 2.5 million domestic workers providing home and personal care, child care, and house cleaning services for millions of Americans. 90% of these workers are women who are disproportionately people of color and immigrants. Sine domestic work is informally negotiated, these workers are often paid as little as $11 per hour. Working “under the table,” fewer than 2% of these workers receive retirement or pension benefits, and less than 9% work for employers that collect payroll taxes - precluding them from receiving future Social Security benefits. Nearly two-thirds of all domestic workers do not have health insurance, and only 4% receive employer-provided health care benefits - despite the fact that domestic work is hazardous and often results in illness or injury. Many domestic workers experience discrimination and sexual harassment which, due to their immigration status, inhibits them from taking any recourse.

Advocates say millions of older Americans, families, and individuals with disabilities increasingly rely on domestic workers. They claim that by bringing domestic work out of the shadows and raising wages and standards for these workers, we can lift millions of vulnerable people out of poverty and improve their working conditions. This in turn will enhance the quality of care and better support the millions of working and retired Americans who rely on them.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of S.2569 - Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act (117th Congress 2021-2022)
Prospective Sponsor: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)