Resources and Best Practices for Household Workers During the Health Crisis

• Practice clear and open communication. State the obvious as everyone is coming from a different place of understanding and context. Share your concerns and if you have symptoms or have been exposed. Discuss backup plans if anyone gets sick. Acknowledge the issues from the employer’s perspective. Through communication, set fair agreements. See also A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO A CORONAVIRUS CONVERSATION.

• Understand the emergency mandates for your area. Depending on your location, domestic workers may not be considered essential employees unless they’re caring for a child of an essential employee (and there isn’t another non-essential parent available), or providing life-sustaining care to the elderly or disabled. See State Resources below.

• Understand resources available. See Federal Resources and State Resources below.

• If you are asked to come to work, think about what adequate safety equipment or materials may be needed, and discuss this with your employer.

• See National Domestic Workers Alliance Coronavirus Resource Hub.

• See Coronavirus Care Fund, an emergency fund organized by the National Domestic Workers Alliance that will provide immediate financial support for domestic workers, and enable them to stay home and healthy, protecting themselves, their families and their communities. It’s a charitable donation (not a loan) and there are no questions regarding immigration status.

• If you are let go, here are 13 steps to take if you’ve lost your job due to the coronavirus crisis.

Federal Resources

Families First Coronavirus Response Act:

• Effective March 31st nationally.

• Provides 10 days of emergency paid sick leave, and up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child (regardless of immigration status).

• Provides funding for free Coronavirus testing (some of which will go to community health centers that serve everyone regardless of immigration status).

• Includes provisions to ease obtaining unemployment insurance and food assistance.

• Doesn’t matter if the employee is paid in cash, they’re still covered under the law.

• See National Domestic Workers Alliance page coming soon with more detail.

State Resources

General

• If you don’t have health insurance, these states have opened enrollment under the Affordable Care Act to enable access to subsidized health insurance: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. See Eleven States Now Letting Uninsured Sign Up for Obamacare | New York Times.

New York

• In NY, nannies may not be essential employees unless they are caring for a child of an essential employee and there isn’t another non-essential parent available. See Memo for Domestic Employers on Executive Order 202.6 by Governor Cuomo | Hand in Hand | National Domestic Workers Alliance.

DISCLAIMER: The material provided herein is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice on any matter.

Last Updated: March 24, 2020, 9:30 AM PDT