Migrant domestic workers have faced tough conditions and worsening support from successive governments.

They work in private households, behind closed doors; by definition, their work is hidden from sight from everyone except them, their employer and the household. Often, the domestic worker will be entirely on their own, sleep in the same house they work in, and be asked to ‘help out’ with work that goes beyond their remit.

Domestic work is consistently undervalued as work, often viewed as being done out of love for the children rather than as a typical working relationship.

For migrant domestic workers, with limited time, knowledge, money or language to operate outside that household, and possibly no support network in the country at all, the risks of exploitation are extreme. The visa structure is at the heart of this issue. Workers’ status, knowledge of their status, location, pay, employer’s details and awareness about their rights are all dependent on the employer, which creates huge vulnerabilities.

The Fair Work Agency has a chance to turn that around. In a new briefing for the Fair Work Agency, written alongside members from The Voice of Domestic Workers, we detail what domestic workers need from the FWA.

Read the briefing: