A New ‘Bill of Rights’ for Domestic Workers Will Let Them Finally Bargain Collectively

Domestic workers—including house cleaners, nannies, and homecare workers—are among the lowest paid in the country. Most earn median wages of around $10 per hour, and only 12% receive health benefits. They also commonly navigate employment with unstable schedules, variable hours, and little job security. Not only is this a problem for the domestic workers themselves, who are overwhelmingly women of color, but also for those in need of their services—such difficult working conditions will only contribute to the significant workforce shortage as the country ages. A recently introduced bill, however, would take major steps to improve conditions for domestic workers and address these shortcomings.