The Actual Labor Conditions of Domestic Workers and Measures to Protect Them

At its 100th session in June 2011, the Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (No. 189) called on global society to examine the situation of those employed in the domestic work sector. The working conditions of domestic workers in employment relationships with private homes have yet to be reviewed systematically, and representative statistical studies feature limitations on ascertaining the current number of domestic workers engaged in the informal economy and their actual working conditions. This study aims to examine the actual labor conditions of domestic workers in the Republic of Korea by using the Regional Employment Survey conducted in 2012. It suggests appropriate measures for their protection according to the type of domestic function in which they engage. The study finds that because domestic work is neither regulated nor protected by labor legislation, domestic workers are exposed to insecure employment without fixed-term employment contracts; long working hours and low wages; exclusion from the four major social insurance programs, etc.; working in harsh environments compared to other workers; and inability to exercise their labor rights. In conclusion, rather than detailing legislative directions, we suggest proper directions for the protection of domestic workers by their type of work and employment relationship.