Reflecting on the injustice meted on domestic workers
Our domestic workers might be living in our homes, but they are not part of our family.
There is an injustice that happens in our homes and few take note. The injustice meted upon domestic workers. Today is Labour Day, an international day set to celebrate workers but I can bet my next pay that most of us have not allowed our house assistants the day off.
Worse, we will not pay them overtime nor the double daily rate as stipulated by the law when an employee works during a holiday. If anything, today is the day your house assistant is overworked, because you are entertaining guests. Most likely, you have invited over some guests, which means more cooking and cleaning for your house help.
Recently, there was a discussion on a social media platform about the unchecked injustice against domestic workers and it elicited mixed reactions.
One reader raised the issue of the horrible experiences of domestic workers in the Middle East and it triggered a debate. She begged Kenyans to stop seeking employment in those countries because of the harsh treatment they are bound to face from their employers.
“You will be treated worse than a murderer, just because of your skin colour and the title of your job,” she warned.
Reader after reader supported her and as I read the comments I noted someone with a contrary opinion.
“Some of you here treat your house helps worse than those Saudi employers,” she called out toxic employers.
It was like opening the proverbial can of worms. It elicited reactions from both the workers and employers of domestic staff.
“My employer would never let me eat the same meal as the rest of the family,” complained one *Judy.
Judy’s employer would always serve her either leftover githeri or ugali, after a quick warming in the microwave. Judy resolved to buy eggs for herself, to supplement her bland meals. She hid the eggs in her closet and only cooked them when her employer was away.
“She used to count the eggs she had bought, so I could not dare fry even one” Judy said. And what Judy is experiencing is commonplace in many Kenyan homes— employers mistreating their workers.
Some employers refer to the nanny as part of the family and claim to treat her as such. This is far from the truth, as these employers take advantage of her by denying her annual leave, off days, or rest time. Our domestic workers might be living in our homes, but they are not part of our family. They are professionals, engaged in work and must be accorded their due rights, such as acceptable payment and decent treatment in line with labour laws.
Do you know they can also sue? It is time we stopped calling our house help family members, to justify our overworking, and underpaying them. For an overly religious nation, we grossly mistreat our nannies, drivers, and other employees in the lower wage bracket, who work in our homes and offices.
A 2016 research by the International Day of the African Child and Youth, noted that the use of underage girls as housemaids had declined in Kenya to 11 percent, but it did not curb the ill-treatment and abuse of domestic workers’ rights. Conflict is inevitable in any human relationship, but when it involves a domestic worker, the scales are already tipped against them.
Most of them come from economically dire backgrounds, and their low-paying job might easily be what is supporting their families back in the village. A simple misunderstanding can easily get them fired from their job, on the spot, therefore, they put up with all sorts of situations.
For example, female employers will demonise a house help for sexual involvement with her (employer’s) husband, but often, it is a case of sexual harassment and intimidation by the said husband. We are guilty of gross injustice when it comes to honouring the work hours of our domestic workers. Some of our house helpers work for as long as 15 hours a day. Some of us will not let her rest on Sunday, because we must show our piety in church and we need her to watch over the children. We shall not talk about the maid’s uniforms today.
I hope we have a thoughtful Labour Day as we look inward and make changes that honour the people working in our homes.
