If you are one of 16, domestic workers in Philly, or an employer, here is what you need to know about domestic worker rights. In Philadelphia, playgrounds and bus stops have become places where domestic workers share their job experiences. It was the first time in her 22 years as a nanny that Baxter learned she had rights. According to Nicole Kligerman, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance Pennsylvania chapter, this experience is far too common. You are considered a domestic worker if your job involves going to another person's private residence to provide:.
Yes, but the responsibility of crafting one is on the employer. If you work more than five hours per month, employers are mandated to provide you with a contract in your preferred language and tell you about your rights. According to Kligerman, this document keeps you and the employer safe by outlining responsibilities, rights, and benefits.
You should be. This creates situations where your boss might not have a contract for you to review before taking the job. A previous employer convinced her to make a verbal agreement before she knew what the Domestic Bill of Rights entailed. Then, they added more responsibilities to her workload for the same pay. If you are looking for a variant, the city has a template in multiple languages. However, not knowing the law does not exempt employers from having to comply with it.
Julia Ticona is an assistant professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania and has employed domestic workers since Her academic work , focused on how digital inequalities impact working conditions, led her to craft written contracts with the domestic workers she employs since before the bill passed. They offer free resources and template contracts. For tips on presenting the contract to domestic workers who might not know they have rights, Ticona advises approaching it as an evolving conversation, informing and directing workers to the Domestic Workers Alliance.
Yes, both employers and domestic workers can negotiate the contract. As a domestic worker, you are not expected to sign immediately. The Alliance runs negotiation workshops at different times throughout the year. However, if you need immediate help, Kligerman said domestic workers can contact the PA chapter to review contract negotiations.
