ILO Recommendation No. 201 on Domestic Workers

ILO Recommendation No. 201 supplements the Domestic Workers Convention adopted in 2011. It asks how rights can work in an ordinary household: what goes into a contract, who can see working-time records and whether a live-in worker can actually leave during a period of rest. The private setting makes those arrangements particularly important.

When waiting costs time

The recommendation calls for accurate records of working hours, overtime and relevant periods of standby, with access for the worker. A live-in worker may be unable to use time freely even while no task is in progress. Making that restriction visible helps create a basis for negotiations over hours, pay and rest.

Cross-border hiring brings other points of dependence. The text envisages cooperation on monitoring recruitment agencies and access to social security, and addresses complaints and return arrangements. Inspection also has to account for privacy in the home. Either unchecked entry or a complete absence of oversight can leave workers exposed.

From a private arrangement to a claim a worker can make

Read paragraph 6 on model contracts alongside paragraphs 8 and 9 on recording hours and dealing with standby. Proof of the agreed working day differs from proof that an employer asked someone to remain available on a particular evening. Access to records lets a worker identify time missing from a payslip. Even a single interruption at night can break up a period a live-in worker needs for sleep. The same issue arises with study or social time.

Paragraph 2 addresses the right to organise. Workers dispersed across homes can use organisations of their own choosing to compare terms, find support and bring recurring problems to collective bargaining. The provisions on recruitment across borders and labour inspection then sharpen the questions: where can a worker complain, can they actually leave when employment ends, and how can inspectors protect rights while respecting household privacy? These are the practical consequences of treating a private home as a workplace.

The Domestic Workers Convention, No. 189 supplies the companion standard. Read the pair with a practical question in mind: can a worker get the terms in writing, check the records and pursue a claim without putting their safety at risk?

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