Domestic Work

Domestic work is employment undertaken by a person for a household or private residence. It includes house cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, table service, grocery shopping, and childcare or care for the elderly and infirm. A person who performs this work is called a domestic worker.

This work differs from other occupations in that it takes place in a private home, which is not ordinarily classified as a conventional workplace. This affects how labor law, working hours, and oversight apply to it. Some domestic workers live in the household they serve; others come on a daily basis.

Types of work

Common roles include cleaners, cooks, nannies, caregivers for the elderly, gardeners and guards, and housekeepers. Many households employ a single person to perform several tasks. Agreements may be written or oral only, which varies from country to country.

Conditions of employment

Pay, hours, leave, and time off vary according to national law and household agreement. Matters frequently disputed include: long and undefined working hours, whether accommodation and food count toward pay, and access to health insurance or employment benefits. For live-in workers, the boundary between working time and rest time is often blurred.

Migration and work

A significant portion of domestic workers worldwide come from another country. The sponsorship systems in some Middle Eastern countries legally bind workers to a single sponsor, making it difficult to change employment. Programs permitting worker mobility have been negotiated in some countries, though they vary in coverage, travel arrangements, and costs.

International framework

The International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted a convention on domestic workers (Convention No. 189), which establishes that domestic workers are entitled to the same rights as other workers: limited working hours, minimum wage, and a clear agreement. Countries that have ratified it are obliged to align their national laws accordingly.