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RIGHTS BEGIN AT HOME: Protecting Yourself as a Domestic Worker
A Publication of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the National Employment Law Project (NELP), and revised by NELP in 2006
The purpose of this handbook is to help domestic workers protect themselves within the context of existing employment laws. While the laws do not necessarily reflect the full extent of the rights workers deserve, they do give workers some protection regardless of their immigration status.
The information in this handbook is based on New York law, and the average wages are for the New York City metropolitan area.
Despite the limitations of the law, community organizations in New York and elsewhere have used creative and innovative strategies to advocate for greater protection of domestic workers. Through this process of enforcing existing legal rights and organizing for more protections, we can improve working conditions for all domestic workers.
Laws that are not enforced have only symbolic value. The first step towards workers as a worker is knowing your rights. This handbook was created to help with that first step.
To download a copy of this handbook, please click here.