The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act extends comprehensive federal labor protections to approximately 2.2 million domestic workers—predominantly women, immigrants, and people of color—who work as nannies, housekeepers, home health aides, and caregivers in private homes while earning median wages of $16.58 per hour. The bill requires employers to provide written agreements outlining job terms, pay, schedules, and benefits; grants domestic workers overtime protections, paid sick leave (at least 1 hour per 30 hours worked), meal and rest breaks, and privacy rights; prohibits wage theft and retaliation; and extends civil rights discrimination protections to this workforce. It establishes an 11-member Domestic Employee Standards Board to recommend workplace standards every three years and gives the Department of Labor enforcement authority to investigate violations and workers the right to sue for damages. The Secretary of Labor must issue regulations within one year to promote fiscal intermediaries for wage payments and create multilingual materials explaining domestic workers' rights. These protections take effect immediately upon enactment, with employers required to provide written agreements to new hires within 5 days and existing employees within 180 days.
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