Connecticut Domestic Worker Justice Campaign
Connecticut’s population is aging at an increasingly rapid rate. But the supply of homecare workers remains well below what is needed to enable this growing population to age with dignity, largely because of poor pay, lack of benefits, onerous working conditions, and lack of training that leads to a 50%-60% annual turnover within this sector in our state.
This and the fact that there are 4 and 5 year waiting lists in the affordable senior housing developments in the state, mean that many seniors who otherwise could age at home, or at least in their communities face premature entry into nursing homes.
A domestic worker is a person who works within their employer’s household, performing a variety of household services for an individual or a family such as providing care for the elderly to housekeeping. This is an unregulated industry that was intentionally excluded from coverage by federal labor laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family Medical Leave Act. Yet, it is a “real job” often demanding professionalism and dedication. The workers are among the most vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment of all workers, since their workplaces typically are not subject to any laws regulating job safety, wage and hour standards.
UACT is part of a statewide coalition that aims to:
- Build power and support to address the needed expansions/amendments and enforcements for new protections through a full Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
- Provide education and training to domestic workers and their employers advising them of new state and federal protections for home health care and other domestic workers
Hand in Hand
Across the country, states like Connecticut have passed legislation that supports one of the most vulnerable workforce industries: domestic workers like nannies, house cleaners, and home health aides. Ten states and two cities are on the cutting edge with Connecticut.
But if you employ a house cleaner, nanny, or home health aide, you might need support to be in compliance with the policy. Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network is a national organization that works with people who hire domestic workers to understand that their homes are workplaces. They know that there’s no Human Resource Department in your household, so they create resources and offer one-on-one support to employers.
Do you employ a house cleaner, home health aide, or nanny? Ready to find out more and ensure that you are fulfilling your obligations? Click here and sign our fair care pledge, and we’ll send you more details about the policy in Connecticut and helpful resources to be a great employer.
United Action CT remains a staunch supporter of rights for domestic workers and is delighted to be working with Hand in Hand to establish a network that employers can access to make sure they are following best practices for both employee and client.
