Women and domestic work in the EU

Domestic work , as defined in the ILO Convention (2011), is work performed in or for a household or households; domestic worker – a person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship. A person who performs domestic work only occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis is not a domestic worker. ILO statistics claim that globally 83% of domestic workers are women. More than half of all domestic workers have no statutory limitation of their working hours, more than 2 out of 5 are not entitled to be paid a minimum wage, and more than a third have no right to take maternity leave. Moreover, 29% of domestic workers are excluded from labour legislation with the consequences of not being considered as regular workers. For that matter, domestic workers performing their job undeclared are isolated from others workers executing the same tasks and, therefore, are “invisible”.

According to Eurostat, domestic work includes the activities of households as employers of domestic personnel, such as maids, cooks, waiters, valets, butlers, laundresses, gardeners, gatekeepers, stable-lads, chauffeurs, caretakers, governesses, babysitters, tutors, secretaries etc. It allows the domestic personnel employed to state the activity of their employer in censuses or studies, even though the employer is an individual. The product produced by this activity is consumed by the employing household.

In January 2014 the EU Council adopted a decision authorising Member States to ratify the ILO Convention. Currently, EP FEMM Committee is preparing a Report Women domestic workers and carers in the EU (2015/2094(INI)).

This Key Source by Ulla Jurviste and Irene Penas Dendariena brings together a range of information sources (wth hyperlinks) on the subject.