For the last ten years, Hand in Hand has organized employers of nannies, house cleaners, and home attendants to support Domestic Worker Bills of Rights in states across the country. Now, we’re celebrating the tenth state (and the first southern state) to win a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights—Virginia!
Until recently, it was legal for a domestic worker in most parts of Virgina to be sexually harassed by their employer, to be fired for being pregnant, or for demanding PPE in the time of COVID. That is because domestic workers were wrongly excluded from state labor and civil rights laws.
No more. Thanks to the organizing of our sisters at the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Care in Action, and the Virgina Hand in Hand members who testified at state assembly and senate hearings—domestic workers now have a bill of rights providing them with the long overdue legal rights and protections they deserve.
What is in the Virginia Domestic Worker Bill of Rights?
- Freedom from discrimination and harassment
- Health and safety standards
- Recognition and respect for the essential work Virginia’s domestic workers do
- Paid sick days for home health care workers who serve patients with Medicaid coverage
What we’ve built and where we’re headed
We’ve done so much as a movement. Ten states and two cities now have policies that protect hundreds of thousands of domestic workers.
But we know there is still much more to do.
We’ll be back in Virginia next year to fight for workers compensation, comprehensive paid sick leave, and more for the domestic workers who continue to be excluded from these critical rights. We know that passing meaningful legislation can mean coming back to the table year after year, and we’re prepared to continue working with our partners and legislators to see more policy wins.
We’re also working on passing more ambitious policies than ever, with upcoming campaigns in New Jersey, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, and we’re implementing our wins with powerful education campaigns in California, Philadelphia and Seattle.
Will you make a contribution today, to help take us to our next victory?
It takes a lot of work, and a whole lot of resources to win. Please consider making a donation of any amount today.
