Congressman Dan Goldman Pushes for Extension of Workplace Rights to America’s Domestic Workers
More than 2.2 Million Domestic Workers in United States Currently Excluded from ‘Fair Labor Standards Act’
Read the Bill Here
Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) in introducing the ‘National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights’ to extend common workplace rights and protections to the 2.2 million domestic workers in the United States, who are currently excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other key labor and safety laws that the majority of the workforce relies on. The legislation would also improve job quality by ensuring paid sick days, written agreements, and other benefits.
The legislation amends the Civil Rights Act and the FLSA to ensure domestic workers are able to earn overtime, sick days, and are able to request time off for personal reasons, that their employment is subject to a written agreement, that they are provided meal and rest breaks, that their privacy is protected, and that they are protected from workplace discrimination and harassment.
“From domestic work to construction and office jobs, every worker in America must be afforded basic protections under the law,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “It is imperative that no American worker is taken advantage of or forced to work without the labor protections that are hallmarks of hard-fought labor victories. Congress must ensure that no matter what field of work someone is in, there are guardrails in place to ensure an appropriate work environment.”
Domestic workers are one of the fastest growing workforces in the nation, yet these nannies, house cleaners and home care workers have historically been excluded from worker protections and, as a result, often have no benefits, little protections, and little recourse or enforcement mechanism. A 2021 National Domestic Workers Alliance survey of domestic workers also reported:
Only 16% of domestic workers have a written agreement with their employer
Over one-third of domestic workers do not get meal and rest breaks and of those that do, only 34% of those who get meal and rest breaks are paid for those breaks
81% of domestic workers receive no pay if their employer cancels on them with less than three days’ notice, and 76% receive no pay if their employer cancels on them after they show up for work
23% of domestic workers do not feel safe at work
If passed, the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights will do the following, amongst other provisions:
Ensure domestic workers have paid sick leave to take care of themselves or their families
Extend civil rights protections, including against workplace harassment, to domestic workers
Afford domestic workers the right to meal and rest breaks
Establish written agreements to ensure clarity on roles and responsibilities
Protect against losing pay due to last minute cancellations
Congressman Dan Goldman has worked throughout his first term to fight for the rights of all workers.
In June of 2023, Goldman cosponsored the ‘Job Protection Act’ to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to protect millions of workers who are currently unable to take time off to care for themselves or their families. Gaps in FMLA coverage lead nearly 2.6 million workers every year who need family or medical leave to not take it because they fear they will lose their jobs if they do.
In September of 2023, the Congressman cosponsored the ‘No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act.’ This legislation would classify corporate interference in worker organization campaigns as political speech under the tax code making any money spent in these efforts non-tax deductible.
Congressman Dan Goldman is a member of the Labor Caucus and proud cosponsor of the PRO Act.
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