The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the rules of labor for almost everyone. For those who toil in low wage, essential jobs, the impact has been significant as the virus upends workers’ health, hours and pay. Many of these workers lack health insurance, paid time off or the most basic rights in the workplace that so many of us take for granted. In California, more than 2 million homes rely on the essential labor of housecleaners, nannies and home attendants. Domestic workers, who are mostly immigrant women of color, are the only group of workers excluded from the state’s health and safety protections under the California Occupational Safety and Health Act. This research project aims to figure out if these longstanding workplace issues, combined with changes on the job due to COVID-19, make domestic workers more vulnerable to the virus. This report is a look at data collected from September 2020 through April 2021.
