For the first two years of my daughter's life, my partner and I worked part-time while we employed a nanny who cared for her as part of a nanny-share.  The important work we do in our jobs has been made possible by someone whose work is equally important.

In my experience, becoming an employer of a domestic worker was a confusing process.  There are no clear guidelines about what we should do about things like holidays, sick days, raises, etc.  I followed the lead of other parents and simply assumed that our nanny’s needs were being met. It took a while for me to really understand my obligations and responsibilities as a domestic employer and to realize how different consistent childcare is compared to occasional babysitting.  Having clear expectations really improves the quality of care and the ability of parents and nannies to communicate and work together as a team.  Domestic employers need clear guidelines about good employment practices.  Guidelines improve the quality of care for our homes, our families, and our children while providing our workers with just and dignified workplaces.

Without clear guidelines, nannies are vulnerable to unfair treatment, exploitation, and abuse.  Most employers are trying to do the right thing.  But domestic workers shouldn’t have to count on employers happening to be nice, trustworthy, and well-informed about their responsibilities.  Can you imagine applying for a job in an organization where you only got as much vacation time as your boss felt like giving you?  Almost all of us can count on having lunch breaks or rest breaks when we need them, but domestic workers are excluded from the protections that the rest of us have access to.

Recently a domestic worker told me, “People sometimes ask me, ‘Do I have to give vacation time?' and I say, ‘Well, would you want to apply for a job that didn’t offer this kind of benefit?’”  I invite you to ask yourself that question.  Would you apply for a job in which you couldn’t count on being able to eat your lunch and you never got days off to spend time with your family?  I know I wouldn’t.  I believe any nanny I employ should have the same basic labor rights that you and I take for granted in our workplaces.

I know that my daughter was receiving better care when her caregiver was fed, well rested, and had gotten to spend time with her own family.  The nanny I employed is a skilled professional whose labor allowed me and my partner to work outside the home. Her work, and the labor of all domestic workers, lays the foundation of our economy and provides millions of families with the opportunity to pursue careers, schooling, and much more.

Some people want to pit domestic workers against the people they care for, but the fact is we don't have to choose between improving the quality of life for employers and the domestic workers who provide their homes, their children, and their families with compassionate care. Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Association, is working with employers of domestic workers nationally to support the efforts of domestic workers fighting for the basic rights and dignity afforded to all other workers. We believe that caring homes and just workplaces go hand in hand, and work towards establishing fair working conditions that lead to mutual respect and well-being.

AB889 does just that, and is a step forward for workers, for employers, and for a more equal California that works for all of us.

-- Meg Yardley, member of Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Association and employer of a nanny