SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Domestic household workers in New Jersey now have a bill of rights that gives them workplace protections and certain requirements for the families that hire them.
As of July 1, domestic workers — regardless of their immigration status — now receive unemployment, disability, family leave insurance, and protection from discrimination, as well as the right to paid breaks, privacy, and safety while working.
Families that hire people to care for children or the elderly, clean houses, cook, and other jobs at more than $1,000 per year must get an employer identification number and register for payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance.
Stacy Kono, network director of Hand in Hand, a domestic employers network group, said the best part of the bill is it requires employment contracts to outline pay, work hours and other expectations.
“The informality of the working relationship between domestic worker and employer can make it really difficult, but we feel like this will make the working relationship easier and far more effective. It benefits workers and employers,” she said.
New Jersey Department of Labor Commissioner Robert Asero-Angelo said this is a crucial step to ensure everyone enjoys dignity, fair wages and safe working conditions in the state.