Blog Post
Stories of Filipino Nannies Working Long Hours for Substandard Pay
The NYC-based immigration blog Feet in 2 Worlds recently posted a story about two Filipino nannies who are working long hours with little wage protection, but who appreciate that they earn more in the United States than they would in the Philippines.
One of the key themes of the article is that while experienced nannies receive decent pay, they work long hours with little recourse if their employer decides to cut their salary or if they get injured on the job.
One nanny that the blogger spoke with was “Cora,” an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines who cares for a young girl whose family lives on the Upper East Side.
While Cora appears happy in her job, all that could change in four months. Her employer is due to give birth to Mary Kate’s sister. Cora is not thrilled about caring for another infant, although she raised Mary Kate from year one after her mother went back to work in real estate.
The family has been complaining loudly about financially hard times and told Cora they can’t raise her salary when she starts caring for a second child. In fact, they are even dropping hints about cutting it down to $500 a week, because with real estate sales lagging, the mother could easily work from home and help with childcare.
Cora has cause to worry. Undocumented workers have limited legal protection, and many “can be fired just for asking for a raise or time off,” according to the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), a national organization that advocates for nannies, caregivers and housekeepers.
On its website, NDWA states “the lack of legal protection creates steep barriers to negotiation for a domestic worker, who may be afraid to negotiate the terms of her employment, for fear she will be fired without warning.”
The article stresses the need for a Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights to protect nannies, caregivers, and cleaners. For more info about that bill of rights, click here.
Tags : domestic workers' bill of rights, filipino, nannies, philippines
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